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Iran vows not a ‘single drop’ of oil or gas will pass strait of Hormuz as US carries out ninth night of strikes – Middle East crisis live

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency is reporting that the vessel on fire off the Omani coast in the strait of Hormuz had been struck by an unknown projectile. The crew has safely abandoned the vessel and were rescued by a tug boat, UKMTO said. The fire has not been extinguished and the vessel is currently adrift. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had earlier claimed that two oil tankers were blown up after attempting to transit through the southern route of the strait, but there has been no independent confirmation of this and it is unclear if the IRGC was referring to this vessel.

Ukraine targets Moscow with drones after huge Russian attack on Kyiv – Europe live

in Kyiv Ten people were killed in a Russian strike near the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on a merchant ship flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau. The vessel loaded with grain set off on Sunday. On board were 17 crew members – citizens of Syria and India – as well as a local Ukrainian pilot. “The search and rescue operation lasted all night. The fire on the ship was brought under control. Eight crew members were rescued and brought ashore. Unfortunately, 10 people including the pilot, died,” the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority said. In recent weeks Ukrainian drone forces have hit at least 118 Russian-linked vessels in the Sea of Azov, and a further 54 ships in the neighbouring Black Sea. The campaign has effectively closed down a major Russian commercial route used to export grain and other products, as well as for military purposes. Kyiv’s goal is to isolate Crimea. Russia has bombed Odesa since the start of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale 2022 invasion. It now appears to be copying Ukrainian tactics.

Taxpayers could pay millions to abuse survivors if Christian Brothers goes bankrupt, court documents reveal

Australian taxpayers could be forced to cover up to $65m in payouts to hundreds of abuse victims when a failing arm of the Catholic church disappears, new court documents reveal. Last month, the Christian Brothers, a Catholic order with a shocking record of child abuse, informed a court it was going broke and would not be able to afford to pay out survivors. The move has affected hundreds of cases brought either through the civil courts or through the government-run national redress scheme, which allows survivors to seek capped amounts of compensation without going to court. An actuarial report detailing the state of the Christian Brothers finances was released to the media on Monday, alongside other court documents. The report reveals there are currently 340 redress claims involving the Christian Brothers, which will cost the religious order an estimated $25m. But the report also predicts the Christian Brothers will be subject to another 590 redress claims, worth $40m, in future years. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email In total, it is on the hook for 930 redress claims worth $65m. The rules of the redress scheme make the federal government a “funder of last resort”. That means that where an institution no longer exists or is unable to pay, the federal government is forced to step in and cover the costs. The situation has prompted a withering response from the social services minister, Tanya Plibersek. “Victim-survivors deserve to have those responsible for their abuse held accountable,” she said. “Christian Brothers should take responsibility for the harm members of their order have caused. “Funder of last resort arrangements which call on taxpayer funds should be just that – the absolute last resort.” The Christian Brothers is currently proposing a scheme that would sell off its remaining 36 properties and divide up the proceeds between a range of creditors, including survivors and the government. But the proceeds from those property sales will be nowhere near enough to cover survivors’ claims, and are likely to provide a fraction of what survivors are owed. Survivors and plaintiff law firms are angry that the Christian Brothers has spent the past decade transferring vast and lucrative holdings of property to a separate entity, known as the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia, for nominal amounts of $1. That entity is resisting any attempt to sell off those properties to help pay survivors. Plibersek said the government would take a “forensic approach” to the matter. “I want to assure victim-survivors that the Albanese Labor government will ensure the integrity of the National Redress Scheme is upheld, and applications naming Christian Brothers can continue to be lodged and will be determined in the usual way,” she said. “The commonwealth, through the Department of Social Services, is participating in the current supreme court of New South Wales proceedings concerning the Christian Brothers’ proposed creditors’ scheme and is acting to ensure the interests of victim survivors and taxpayers are protected. We will be adopting a forensic approach to the Christian Brothers’ proposed financial restructure.” The Guardian also revealed the Christian Brothers has used its dwindling finances to support nine convicted child abusers who remain in the order, and used two remaining properties to house brothers with horrific histories of abuse, including one who preyed on orphans and another who was kept in teaching positions for almost three decades after senior officials became aware of his offending. The newly released court documents also reveal there is more property still that is owned by an entity known as the Brothers of the Christian Schools of Ireland, which is currently out of the reach of survivors and other creditors. The court documents show the entity held net assets of $57m as at 31 December 2025. That has reduced rapidly to $47m in net assets by May this year. The Christian Brothers is attempting to fold those assets into its proposed sell-off scheme, which could boost the funds available to survivors and other creditors. Earlier this month, Plibersek expressed serious concern about the approach of the Christian Brothers. Speaking in parliament after revelations about the transfer of property to the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia, she said: “Growing up, I was taught that there was one church and one God, not multiple corporate entities that transfer assets for purposes that are yet to be made clear. “The feeling that no one may be held to account for this abuse – that is perhaps even worse than the financial impacts … The idea that no one will be held to account for child sexual abuse, when it is identifiable where it happened and who was responsible, I think is devastating for victims and survivors.” • In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International

Monday briefing: 50 years after Viking landed on Mars, did Nasa overlook evidence of life?

Good morning. As Andy Burnham’s search for intelligent life to appoint to cabinet continues (more on that from Libby tomorrow), First Edition sets our sights further afield, to the search for life on another red planet. It’s 50 years to the day since humankind’s first foray on Mars. On 20 July 1976, Viking 1 successfully touched down on the planet in a groundbreaking feat. At least, that’s how Nasa tells the story – technically, the Russians did it first in 1971, but contact with the Soviet Mars 3 was lost in seconds, and only a single fuzzy grey image transmitted back to Earth. Over six years, Viking 1 and its successor returned more than 50,000 images, and mapped 97% of the Martian surface. Their research shapes our understanding of space to this day, in particular their life-detection experiments. “No bodies, no life,” declared Viking chief scientist Gerald Soffen at the time. As Nasa’s website states, Viking “provided no definitive evidence for the presence of living microorganisms”. But what if they got that wrong, and for 50 years we’ve had the evidence to prove it? That’s the claim of Steven Benner, chemist and former Harvard professor, in his new book, Meet the Neighbours. The repercussions, he argues, are vast. For today’s First Edition, we ask: is there life on Mars? Before that, a roundup of your biggest earthling stories from the weekend. Weekend roundup UK politics | Andy Burnham is expected to scrap Keir Starmer’s plans for digital ID cards in a “reset of priorities” when he enters Downing Street. The new Labour leader plans to redirect the resources earmarked for the scheme towards tackling the cost of living, his team indicated. Ukraine | Russia has carried out one of its biggest-ever ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, launching a five-hour raid that left at least one person dead and seven injured, with fires and damage across the city. Iran | The US launched a ninth night of strikes targeting Iran early Monday, after announcing the death of another American service member, as the price of Brent crude oil climbed above $90 a barrel, the highest level since June. Africa | Seven American aid workers who had been in Congo to fight the Ebola outbreak are quarantining at a new isolation facility in ⁠Kenya after the US government introduced travel ⁠restrictions, the head of a US charity employing them told Reuters. Europe | Hungary’s president, Tamás Sulyok, has agreed to step down after signing a constitutional amendment passed by the ruling Tisza party of the prime minister, Péter Magyar. In depth: ‘They thought they found no organic materials’ It’s tricky, Benner tells me, for scientists to claim they have found something. Much safer to state they haven’t. Imagine you’d discovered something unprecedented and revolutionary. “Would you hesitate to announce it to the world? What if two weeks later, some grad student pointed out your basic error?” Scientists like him, Benner says, are “more afraid of being called out for a false-positive than for a false-negative”. In his view, this explains the half-century of science that states extant life was not found on Mars. Over decades, Benner has come to the opposite conclusion. His academic credentials are unimpeachable. Benner holds degrees from Yale and Harvard, and worked at the latter, alongside institutions including the prestigious Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. He is now the director of a non-profit research organisation, and has also worked with Nasa. In fact, it was while peer-reviewing grants for the US space agency at their Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston that Benner made, what he claims, was a major discovery while flicking through the original 1976 Viking mission logs in their library. “Things had quite clearly been missed.” *** The experiments The Viking missions conducted various experiments to test for life on Mars. Some, such as those searching for microbial metabolism (microbes digesting food) and for microbes performing photosynthesis, are widely accepted to have offered positive results. “These experiments discovered unexpected and enigmatic chemical activity in the Martian soil,” says Nasa. “But then Viking used Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to look for organic material in the soil,” Benner says. Put simply, the GC-MS process can identify and measure the concentration of certain chemicals in a sample. “They thought they found no organic materials.” This is what Benner disputes. “Reading the logs at Nasa in 1999, as a chemist it was clear the GC-MS had detected traces of organics in the Martian soil, but scientists could not explain them, and so dismissed them as a contaminant.” There’s much more to his argument. Decades later, in 2008, Nasa’s Phoenix lander discovered perchlorates were present in Martian soil. Perchlorates are chemicals which destroy organic materials when heated. The 1970s GC-MS experiment heated Martian soil to 500C. “So we now know this experiment would have destroyed most organic materials in the soil.” (For any science-heads, this space.com piece explores this in rich detail.) *** The discovery? If Benner is correct – and there is extant life on Mars – the consequences could be colossal. “It means one of two things,” he argues. “You could have an independent genesis on Mars – a second origin of life.” With Earth, we’re one-for-one when it comes to planets like ours generating life. “If we get two for two, life origin on Mars and Earth, it suggests there is microbial life all over the galaxy.” Only last week, scientists announced they’d identified another Earth-like planet outside our solar system. “If your first casino hand is a straight flush, you’re just lucky,” is Benner’s analogy. “If your second is also a straight flush, you know the deck is rigged. With life on Mars, we’d conclude there is life on all these rocky planets.” There’s an alternative reading of his results: that any life on Mars is a result of interstellar panspermia, the exchange of material between planets. “Rocks hit Mars, get knocked out of the surface and hit Earth, and vice versa,” says Benner. “If we still see extant life on Mars, we are saying that life is extremely resilient to planetary changes.” Earth and Mars have hugely different atmospheres and environments. “If you have one planet seeding life to another planet, and it survives these dramatic changes, again we can expect there to be life on all sorts of rocky planets.” *** Life as we know it Benner’s case isn’t that Viking found definitive proof of extant life on Mars. It’s that the evidence against life is far weaker than received wisdom. Focus has therefore shifted since the Viking missions, turning to the search for water, habitability and signs of ancient life on Mars – which recent missions have detected. “Think of all the experiments that could have been done, had they properly identified microbial life on Mars,” says Benner. “Instead, we decided not to look for it. That was the decision of the Nasa Astrobiology Institute when it was inaugurated in the late 1990s.” Benner worked there from 1999. “We were told no experiment will fly if it is going to look for extant life on Mars – the Nasa leadership interpreted Viking as a mistake or failure.” Yes, the organisms we’re discussing are microscopic in scale, but that belies their significance. “Microbial life has a lot in common with you and me,” says Benner. “In fact, you have more microbe cells in you than you do person cells.” What differentiates microbes from, say, a lump of rock, is their capacity for Darwinian evolution. The search for intelligent extraterrestrial life sounds the sexier pursuit, but “what we’re talking about here shapes our assessment of the prospect of finding it”, Benner argues. “I can’t tell you that microbial life will with high probability evolve to intelligent life, but I can tell you this: you do not get intelligent life without it.” *** Not alone Benner isn’t the first to make a similar claim. Dr Gilbert V Levin, who designed one of the tests used on the Viking missions, spent decades arguing this case. He died in 2021 still resolute, despite being “marginalised, treated as goofy,” says Benner. The late Mexican astrobiologist Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez agreed, finding soil in Chile’s inhospitable Atacama Desert closely matched that found on Mars and that Viking “may have been blind to low levels of organics.” In space circles, it’s a hotly contested topic. Many textbooks today suggest that the Viking tests failed to find life, or were inconclusive. “The community is divided,” says Benner. “Some say, ‘Good guy, Steven. Well done for going out there and taking the arrows.’ Others are worried about the impact on public perceptions of space. That if we say what’s been unspoken, there’ll be a backlash: it’s Nasa trying to get money; a crackpot theory!” For now, Benner says, nobody has stepped forward to discredit or disprove his claims. “That’s because most people in this community are geologists, or biologists, and are a little scared to venture into chemistry,” he acknowledges. Nasa told me they don’t comment on outside research. The European Space Agency, I was told, was “not aware” of Benner’s publication. But he’s up for the fight, if/when it comes. “I’m not going to stop until [Nasa head honcho] Jared Isaacman goes on television and acknowledges the issue.” Science, he concedes, isn’t about total certainty. “But right now, nobody is questioning this. They have to be. I’ve been polite for 25 years – now I’m taking no prisoners.” The week to come Monday | Keir Starmer will visit King Charles to resign as prime minister before Andy Burnham meets the monarch, delivers his first speech as PM, and appoints his cabinet. Wednesday | The third hearing of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, who is facing “narco-terrorism” charges, is set to take place in a New York court. Friday | International criminal court members vote on whether to dismiss prosecutor Karim Khan for alleged sexual misconduct, which he denies. What else we’ve been enjoying Tobias Jones’s long read on the fight for Italy’s beaches is a fascinating story that takes in organised crime, the military, arson and, er, chainsaws. Sam Coare, newsletters team The Church of England’s upper echelons are grappling with its stance on Palestine, and I found this report from Aamna Mohdin on the unfolding debate fascinating. Michael “If you were gonna emulate a director, you’d emulate somebody whose movies aren’t panned” – Steve Rose’s interview with John Carpenter makes for a personable profile of the notoriously grumpy master of horror. Sam World Cup 2026 Final | Spain won their second men’s World Cup after Ferran Torres’s extra-time strike beat a battling Argentina side who had Enzo Fernández sent off. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino were booed as they took to the field for the presentation ceremony. The spectacle | The World Cup concluded with a disorientating fever dream beneath a bright blue American sky, Nick Ames writes, where football appeared a sideshow for a tournament nurtured to indulge the cult of the individual. Fifa | Fifa has been accused of providing an “open door to fraud” and allowing political influence to cast doubt on the integrity of the World Cup in a stinging rebuke by the Council of Europe’s secretary general. Sport Golf | On a dramatic final day of the Open, Ryan Fox, son of a New Zealand rugby legend and grandson of a former Black Caps captain, emerged victorious. Formula One | Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix for Mercedes but his title rival and teammate George Russell was knocked out on the opening lap after a clash with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Tour de France | Jonas Vingegaard crashed out of the Tour de France on the approach to the climb of Plateau de Solaison, just hours after being woken up early on Sunday morning to undergo doping controls. The front pages The Guardian’s front page today is “Time for UK to face up to its challenges – Burnham”. The Times says “Burnham: My 10-year UK plan”, the Telegraph’s take is “Burnham heralds new era of big state”, and the i Paper writes “Burnham pledges ‘breathing room’ to help UK on cost of living as he moves into No 10”. The FT leads on “Burnham seeks tight grip on spending with beefed-up control centre at No 10”. Still on the incoming PM, the Mail has “Burnham doesn’t speak for us, say voters in South”, the Express says “New PM has no mandate to raise taxes again”, the Mirror writes “Burning ambition” and the Sun leads on “Turmoil”. Lastly, Metro angles its splash on the return of England’s footballers, writing “Welcome home … there’ve been a few changes”. Today in Focus The battle to reclaim Epping Tim Burrows goes back to Epping in Essex one year after protesters from across the country descended on the small town to demonstrate against asylum seekers being housed at the Bell hotel. Cartoon of the day | Tom Gauld The Upside A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad Dino J Martins, an entomologist, argues that insects and parasites are essential to understanding ecosystems. His lifelong fascination with insects led him to study how overlooked creatures shape biodiversity. In his book Hidden Creatures, he explores parasites’ complex roles, from wasps that consume caterpillars from within to sex-loving hookworms thriving in human intestines. Martins contends parasites are indicators of ecological health and offer insights into evolution, immunity and disease. He warns that losing parasite species erases biological knowledge and may affect future health. His work urges readers to see parasites not as villains but as vital ecological actors. “Even the most disgusting have some of the most incredible adaptations and abilities.” Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday Bored at work? And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply

Australia spent more than $9m for each asylum seeker held on Nauru last year – so why can’t they afford to buy food?

Most refugees and asylum seekers held in Nauru’s detention centres say they cannot afford to buy enough food or access clean drinking water, despite the Australian government spending the equivalent of more than $9m per person last financial year. The group of more than 100 people have been sent indefinitely to the tiny Pacific island while they wait for their asylum claims to be processed. Many of the cohort say they are skipping meals to make ends meet, according to a new survey by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) advocacy group. Rakib*, who has been on Nauru for more than two years without the ability to work, feels he is at breaking point. “I think it would be better if they kill us, or if we die,” says the man in his 20s, whom Guardian Australia has chosen not to identify for his safety. “Because, you know, like when you die, you get peace.” Prohibitive costs Of the 78 people ASRC surveyed between February and April, all but one said the Australian government’s $260 fortnightly payment, intended to cover food, drinking water, supplies, phone credit and internet service, was not enough to keep them from going hungry. (The minimum 28GB monthly data plan with the country’s main internet and mobile provider, Digicel, costs $112, or about 20% of the monthly allowance provided.) Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email Nauru’s population of about 13,000 is heavily reliant on imported goods. More than 90% of food consumed is imported and prices on the island can fluctuate depending on availability and trade disruptions. Vegetables such as tomatoes, capsicums and onions cost about $18 a kilo – up to three times as much as similar goods in Australia. Rakib has been on Nauru for 2.5 years after attempting to get to Australia by boat. He says the situation has worsened in recent months: the cost of a single banana has risen from $1.50 to about $4. He says there has also recently been shortage of rice, which is an affordable staple for many Nauruans and asylum seekers on the island. “We have been told that it might take two to three months for the next ship with rice to arrive, so we don’t know how will we survive in the meantime,” Rakib says through a translator. The ASRC survey also includes reports of substandard accommodation facilities. The island’s group of refugees and asylum seekers mostly come from China, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and attempted to arrive in Australia by boat after 2023. Under a longstanding bipartisan government policy, they will never be permanently resettled in Australia, even if they are found to be fleeing persecution. If they are found to be refugees, they must wait for Australia to strike a deal with another country to take them in. While the offshore processing centre was empty in mid-2023, a stream of arrivals since has meant about 100 or so people remain on the island in limbo. The Australian government spent $971.6m on offshore management for unauthorised maritime arrivals in the 2025-26 financial year, according to a home affairs portfolio budget statement publicly released in May. The figure equates to approximately $9.6m per person. The US private prisons operator, MTC Australia, will receive $791.2m over five years to operate the offshore processing centre on Nauru, while a further $106.5m over three years will be provided to International Health and Medical Services to offer medical services to people awaiting processing. Those awaiting a refugee determination are not permitted to work, so can only rely on the government’s stipend. In December 2025, the government raised the fortnightly stipend from $230 to $260. One asylum seeker quoted in the ASRC’s report claimed some people in the group had resorted to fishing to supplement their meals but their efforts were squandered by theft. “We bought a fishing net to try and supplement the food but our nets were stolen and broken three times. We had put the net outside due to the smell, and local Nauruans came and stole it,” the person claimed. “We planted fruit but unfortunately, all the fruit was stolen. Even my shoes got stolen.” ‘We just want a peaceful life’ While access to any food remains an issue for the group due to supply and affordability, safe drinking water is also a challenge on the island. The ASRC’s report notes that the island has no rivers or freshwater lakes and relies primarily on rainwater harvesting and reverse osmosis desalination. It found 82% of the survey’s respondents said they did not have access to clean drinking water. Rakib says his accommodation has a rainwater tank, which is used for showering, cooking and drinking. To safely consume the water, it must be boiled and stored in containers. “The water tank was not clean for the last two and a half years,” Rakib says. “As we don’t have money, we cannot buy good-quality water.” The ASRC’s deputy chief executive, Jana Favero, says the new report’s findings show the offshore detention system is “completely broken”. “Even the most basic standards of safety and human dignity are not being met, and there is no excuse,” she says. “We know we are responsible and that this system destroys people’s physical and mental health, and now we have evidence that people are also being deprived of enough food to eat.” A home affairs spokesperson said the management of individuals, including their refugee status determination, is Nauru’s responsibility. The spokesperson said allowance payments are “reviewed regularly to ensure it remains fit for purpose” and are “based on the local cost of living and is designed to promote self-sufficiency while the transferees are living in the community”. “People transferred and accommodated under regional processing arrangements are treated with respect and dignity and in accordance with human rights standards,” the spokesperson said. *Name/s have been changed

Huge search operation after passenger ferry sinks off coast of Guyana

A massive search-and-rescue operation is under way after a ferry sank ⁠off the coast of Guyana in South America ⁠late on Saturday, in what has been described by officials as one of the country’s worst maritime disasters. Authorities launched a criminal investigation after a government official said the captain and a crew member of the ferry allegedly tested positive for marijuana and the vessel’s passenger manifest was found to be inaccurate. Two people have been confirmed dead in the accident. Authorities had previously said that there were 116 passengers and 17 crew members on board – as stated on the ship’s manifest – and confirmed that there was no mechanical problem and the vessel had been operating within its legal limits. But speaking at a press conference alongside the country’s prime minister late on Sunday, Juan Edghill, Guyana’s minister of public works, told reporters the manifest was wrong after it was discovered that only 35 of 67 people rescued so far were on the passenger list. The captain and the first engineer, both of whom allegedly tested positive for cannabis, are now in police custody. “I am outraged. We are talking about operational breaches; people will be dealt with,” Edghill said at a press conference in Georgetown on Sunday night. The ferry MV Barima left Georgetown, the capital of the English-speaking South American country, on Saturday at about 3.15pm for Port Kaituma, located in the oil-rich Essequibo region and just off the border with Venezuela. A distress call was received shortly after 11pm, prompting an emergency response involving the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and Air Corps, private aircraft, fishing vessels and civilian volunteers. Edghill had previously said the MV Barima was certified to carry 397 passengers and 284 tonnes of cargo. The ship was equipped with 250 lifejackets, two lifeboats and six inflatable rafts, Edghill had said. The country’s prime minister Mark Phillips described the news that the manifest was incorrect as “deeply concerning and shocking”. “The government has ordered an urgent and comprehensive investigation involving the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Maritime Administration Department, and other technical maritime experts,” Phillips said, adding that the accuracy of the passenger manifest and compliance with maritime safety regulations would be examined. He added: “Let me be absolutely clear: where negligence, misconduct, or criminal wrongdoing is established, those responsible will face the full force of the law..” Earlier on Sunday, Phillips said the search and rescue coordination centre had expanded the search area from 400 sq km (154 sq miles) to 1,070 sq km, with additional aircraft and vessels deployed alongside local fisherfolk familiar with the waters. As the rescue effort continued, survivors recounted the moments when the ferry overturned in darkness. Adam Matabheek, who was travelling with his wife, brother, sister-in-law and three young nieces and nephews, said he noticed the vessel leaning several hours before it capsized. “We dismissed it as rough water and went to sleep,” he said. Moments later, the vessel rolled over. “I ended up in the water,” he recalled, saying he managed to grab a lifejacket before drifting through the night. His wife, Carlita Matabheek, who cannot swim, said she became trapped inside the overturned vessel before a lifejacket fell within her reach. “I started to pray,” she said. After calling repeatedly for her husband in the darkness, she felt someone tugging at her hair. “It was Adam,” she said. The couple and Adam’s younger brother, Nathaniel, spent the night drifting in the sea until rescuers found them after daybreak. “God cleared the skies and saved us,” Carlita said. Their relief, however, was overshadowed by tragedy. Nathaniel’s wife, Rachel Welch, and their three children – Nathaniel Jr., 8, Natalia, 5, and Ezekiel, 3 – remain among the missing. According to the family, Rachel was thrown from her hammock as the ferry capsized and tried desperately to reach her children before they disappeared into the water. Another survivor, Loureen Singh, a trader who regularly travels to Port Kaituma to sell clothing, survived by holding on to the same lifejacket as Carlita after telling her she could swim “a little”. Carlita urged her: “Hold on to me.” The two women remained together throughout the night until they were rescued. Guyana’s international and regional partners have offered assistance in the search and rescue.

‘We defeated Los Ingleses’: Argentina fans search for consolation as Messi misses out on perfect ending

“What happened?” people outside an empanada shop in downtown Buenos Aires ask, trying to read the groans and gestures of the customers inside whose TV was a minute ahead of theirs. “Spain scored,” says Julián Escalante, 20, holding up his phone. Spain’s Ferran Torres had delivered the decisive blow in the 106th minute of a final that had gone into extra time, sealing a tense, largely one-sided showdown that ended 1-0. When the final whistle blew, Escalante doesn’t hesitate and reminds the other supporters: “We defeated Los Ingleses [the English], man! And that’s what matters.” Escalante, a stretcher-bearer, says Argentina’s team “was a bit all over the place, but it doesn’t matter – they gave it everything they had. We made it to the final. We made it to extra time. That’s because we’ve got huevos.” “This is the first time I’ve felt so proud of my country,” he says, heading toward the Obelisco, the designated meeting point to celebrate Argentina’s efforts. “We beat France in the final [in 2022]. We have three World Cups. Messi retired from the Argentina national team as the greatest player in the world.” Cintia Martínez, 28, a housekeeper, can barely hold back tears. “I don’t want to speak much, because my son is crying and I will too,” she says, holding her four-year-old’s hand. Also heading to the Obelisco, she says she was celebrating anyway, “because we made it to the final”. Thousands did the same and went to the monument. The 67-metre-high Obelisco was lit up with images of the Argentinian squad and its supporters, amid the sound of fireworks nearby. A street vendor sold Fernet, a spirit, with coke: “To wash the anger down!” Next to the Obelisco, Ellen Vicente, 20, a Brazilian medical student wearing an Argentina jersey, says she came out because she respects Argentinians and considers it “an honour” to live in the country. “We are not Argentine, but you played very well, and I’m very proud,” she says. Asked about recent racism accusations against Argentinians, she said they’re partly substantiated. “I am Black, and it is real, but we can’t generalise – this country has welcomed us, and most people treat us well,” she adds. “And Argentina deserved to win.” Emiliano Romero, 18, hung an Argentine banner on the Obelisco’s fence. It read: “Thank you! You made a people happy. Love is paid with love.” Romero explains: “This is love for our country, something I can’t explain. Football is like that – you win, and you lose. But we’re proud of the result all the same.” Young people sat along the fence of the Obelisco. “We’re climbing up here because of the euphoria of the moment, of wanting to be seen, of the love all Argentines have for one another,” said Sofía Gómez, 22, a shop assistant. “Those who watched the match knew that, for Leo Messi’s last game, it had to be Argentina.”