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- Britain’s day of royal diplomacy, Mandelson pressure and rent politics
- US Coast Guard report criticises OceanGate’s safety failures in Titan disaster
- Ukraine announces opening of arms exports to global markets, says Zelenskyy.
- Gunman opens fire at Athens social security office and courthouse, several wounded
- Magyar wins Hungary’s election, ending Viktor Orbán’s long tenure
- Turkey uncovers ancient statue of Athena during excavation in Laodicea
- EU shifts to tougher stance on China amid concerns over economic threats
- Century-old grave of 15 orphans from ‘Home for Little Incurables’ discovered
LIVE German 2025 Election Results as they come in and analysi on who will be the next German Chancellor.
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Britain’s day of royal diplomacy, Mandelson pressure and rent politics
11:46 pm
There are days when Westminster feels like it is running three dramas at once. Today is one of them: the King is in Washington, the Mandelson affair is back before MPs, and Labour is trying to hold its line before local elections that already look uncomfortable.
The headline moment belongs to King Charles, who will address Congress and call for “reconciliation and renewal” between Britain and the US and lets be real, this is Britains Trump card, no pun intended, and the King delivered.
In London, the political temperature is simmering, ever so slightly toward boiling. Philip Barton and Morgan McSweeney are being questioned over Peter Mandelson’s appointment, while MPs are due to vote on whether Keir Starmer should face a privileges committee referral.
Beyond that, The briefing is going to cover a lot of ground fast, so stay with us. Rachel Reeves is considering a one-year rent freeze, Robert Jenrick is under Met investigation, Heathrow’s third runway looks tied to Reeves’s political survival, and the world outside Westminster is hardly waiting politely: Iran has floated a deal on Hormuz, Russia has retreated in Mali, and North Korea is deepening its military bond with Moscow.
MANDELSON
Philip Barton and Morgan McSweeney face MPs as pressure builds over the Washington appointment process.
Philip Barton and Morgan McSweeney face MPs as pressure builds over the Washington appointment process.
ROYAL DIPLOMACY
King Charles addresses Congress as Britain tries to steady relations with the US.
King Charles addresses Congress as Britain tries to steady relations with the US.
RENT FREEZE
Rachel Reeves is considering a one-year rent freeze to ease cost-of-living pressure before local elections.
Rachel Reeves is considering a one-year rent freeze to ease cost-of-living pressure before local elections.
Main news headlines
King Charles takes Britain’s message to Congress
The King addressed both houses of Congress and called for “reconciliation and renewal” between the UK and US. His speech was a masterclass in diplomacy and you could feel the usually stoic audience were in awe of the King. Lawmakers frequently burst into applause and ovations during a speech that mixed British humour with history.
Mandelson pressure returns to Westminster
Philip Barton and Morgan McSweeney are being questioned by MPs over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. Barton is expected to say he advised vetting before the appointment was announced.
Starmer faces privileges committee vote
MPs are due to vote on whether Keir Starmer should be referred to the privileges committee over his claim that “due process” was followed. Labour has imposed a three-line whip against the motion.
Reeves considers one-year rent freeze
Rachel Reeves is considering a one-year freeze on private rents to ease cost-of-living pressure linked to the Iran war. Critics warn it could push more landlords out of the market.
Heathrow expansion tied to Reeves’s future
Heathrow’s third runway faces growing political uncertainty as Rachel Reeves’s position comes under pressure before local elections. The chancellor has been one of the project’s strongest supporters.
How the Mandelson affair became Starmer’s Watergate
“It’s Not the Crime, It’s the Cover-Up”
The Mandelson story is no longer just about one appointment. It has become a test of process, pressure and whether Keir Starmer can still claim the clean-government standard he set for himself.
The awkward point is the word “pressure”. Starmer told MPs that no pressure had been put on the civil service over Mandelson’s appointment. Barton is expected to say he advised the Prime Minister to complete vetting before announcing the role, while a published letter from Ian Collard said he “felt pressure to deliver a rapid outcome” from Downing Street.
That leaves Labour arguing process, while opponents argue judgement. Starmer says he was told due process had been followed; critics say the problem is that vetting came too late. It is not as clean or simple as partygate, but it is politically useful because it forces the government into technical explanations when voters usually hear one thing: something did not look right.
The timing matters too. Local elections are approaching, Labour MPs are nervous, and the Conservatives have found a parliamentary battlefield where Nigel Farage cannot dominate the room. That is why the story keeps moving. It is not just about Mandelson. It is about who gets to frame Starmer as careful, careless or cornered.
How is this shaping the economy
The Bank of England is expected to keep interest rates at 3.75 per cent this week, even as policymakers face above-target inflation for the rest of 2026. The bigger tension is familiar: households feel poorer, energy costs remain unstable, and markets are trying to work out how long the Iran shock will last.
This weeks Business pages all suggest there’s a strain beneath the surface of our economy. John Lewis is being sued over online sales linked to its Brent Cross store. Heathrow’s runway plan is tied to Reeves’s political survival. Microsoft and OpenAI are reducing their dependence on each other, while Claire’s has shut standalone stores in Britain and Ireland after falling into administration.
Westminster Whispers
The Mandelson affair has given Kemi Badenoch a rare advantage: a parliamentary fight where she has a defined role and Nigel Farage does not. Her party remains weak in the polls, but this story puts the spotlight back on Labour versus Conservative rather than Labour versus Reform.
That matters because the next election may still narrow into a two-pole contest. The Conservatives’ problem is that they keep drifting onto terrain where Farage has better answers for many voters. The Mandelson row shows the opposite: a Westminster process story where Badenoch can ask questions and Farage is stuck at the edge of the stage.
PM Tracker
The Prime Minister’s day is dominated by defence rather than delivery, he is being attacked by the Tories, Reform and The Greens, and Jeremy Corbyn who gave a damning verdict on Mandelson affair. That’s not all, he is trying to hold Labour together over the privileges vote while keeping the Mandelson process from becoming a wider question about his judgement.
It is all hands on deck for the PM, he has had several secret meetings within his party to whip the nay-sayers into shape.
Government Tracker
Rachel Reeves has a different problem: cost-of-living politics. A rent freeze may sound simple to renters under pressure, but it brings risk with landlords already unsettled by the Renters’ Rights Act. The government is trying to show action before local elections, but this is the sort of policy that can look neat at announcement and messy in delivery.
Government activity also stretches beyond Westminster drama. New debunking rules come into force, the Home Office is trying to overturn the ruling against the Palestine Action proscription – to effectively quash free-speech except for those issues approved by ‘the powers that be’, and Birmingham’s bin strike may finally be moving towards a deal.
World news summary
Away from Britain, the biggest story is still the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has offered to reopen the waterway if the US lifts its blockade of Iranian ports, but Washington is unlikely to accept without limits on Iran’s nuclear programme.
In Mali, Russian-backed forces have retreated from Kidal after coordinated jihadi attacks, while North Korea has opened a memorial for soldiers killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
Public matters
The UK’s social stories are unusually heavy. Robert Jenrick is being investigated over claims about a foreign donation. The Home Office is fighting to keep Palestine Action proscribed. The Birmingham bin strike may be nearing an end after 14 months, though opposition parties say no deal is signed.
There are also two sharp human stories in the background. A group of Sri Lankan monks have been arrested with 110kg of cannabis at Colombo airport. In South Wales, a child discovered a critically endangered axolotl under the River Ogmore, and the animal has now been rescued.
Espresso shot
If you step back, the same pattern runs through the day: authority is being tested, but not in the way we are used to, It’s all about controlling the narrative.
Starmer’s problem is not only Mandelson. It is whether his government looks like it controls process or rushes it when politically convenient. In the past he could have simply ignored the weak attacks from the opposition, but in the age of social media, he needs to pay attention to everything.
Reeves’s rent freeze raises a similar issue: the desire to show action before voters go to the polls, even if the policy brings second-order problems. Make no mistake Rachel Reeves is balancing her position as Chancellor of the Exchequer and if the winds shifts, the next Prime Minister.
The Conservatives see an opening because the Mandelson affair pulls politics back into parliament, where Badenoch has more weight than Farage. That is why this story matters beyond its paperwork. It gives the Tories a route back into the main fight.
The King’s speech in Washington adds the international layer. and The Americans were blown away by the King’s address to Congress. A masterstroke of British diplomacy, characterised by its charm, nuanced acknowledgment, and vibrant energy. Britain is trying to talk about alliance, renewal and shared history at the same time as US policy is making allies nervous. According to Politico, the speech was “sledgehammer messaging, a plea to America not to abandon its commitments to the Western world”.
So the day’s theme is not stability. It is diplomacy — royal, parliamentary, diplomatic and economic — can the steady hands steer events that are moving faster than they would like.
UK weather outlook
London has a mild few days ahead, with sunshine returning and highs moving from 16C to 23C by Friday before a cloudier and wet weekend. Cardiff looks warmer and breezier, reaching 23C on Thursday before cloud and rain risk later in the weekend.
If you want to get away to explore a city, Edinburgh is cooler but brighter, improving towards 17–19C before a cooler Saturday. And if you don’t mind the rain catch a flight to Belfast which is settled at first, then turns cloudier with showers into the weekend.
Good news
A small glimpse of the future arrived in New York, where an all-electric aircraft completed demo flights between midtown Manhattan and JFK. It carries five people, takes off vertically, and could one day turn a two-hour drive into a journey of under ten minutes. Not a sky full of air taxis yet, but a start.
US Coast Guard report criticises OceanGate’s safety failures in Titan disaster
11:00 pm
Get you up to speed: US Coast Guard report criticises OceanGate’s safety failures in Titan disaster
Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman were killed in the Titan sub disaster on June 18, 2023, when the OceanGate vessel imploded while attempting to reach the Titanic wreck. A National Transportation Safety Board report identified eight ‘primary causal factors’ leading to the implosion, highlighting OceanGate’s failure to adequately test the Titan and its engineering flaws.
According to a National Transportation Safety Board report, the faulty engineering of the Titan resulted in a carbon fibre composite pressure vessel that failed to meet necessary strength and durability requirements. The report also highlighted “a disturbing pattern of misrepresentation and reckless disregard for safety” by OceanGate, leading to multiple causal factors for the implosion.
Since the Titan disaster, OceanGate has suspended its operations and currently has no full-time employees. The National Transportation Safety Board’s report identified multiple causal factors leading to the implosion, including inadequate testing and a toxic workplace environment.
Father and son killed in Titan sub were returned as ‘slush’ in ‘shoeboxes’ | News World
Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman were killed in the disaster
(Picture: AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
A grieving mother said her husband and son killed in the Titan sub disaster, were given back to her as ‘slush in two small boxes’.
Shahzada Dawood, 48, was killed on the dive with his 19-year-old son Suleman as the doomed OceanGate vessel tried to reach the Titanic wreck on June 18, 2023.
All five passengers – CEO Stockton Rush, UK billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul Henry Nargeolet and Mr Darwood and his son were killed ‘instantaneously’ when the sub imploded.
Now Christine Dawood has spoken of the agonising nine-month wait for the ‘bodies’ of her family to be returned from the Atlantic seabed.
‘Well, when I say bodies, I mean the slush that was left,’ she told The Guardian.
‘They came in two small boxes, like shoeboxes’.
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The slush is the remains that were recovered from the seabed, which were separated and DNA tested by the US Coast Guard.
‘There wasn’t much they could find,’ she says.
Christine Dawood refused to take remains that were mixed with the other victims (Picture: Facebook)
‘They have a big pile they can’t separate, all mixed DNA, and they asked if I wanted some of that, too. But I said no, just what you know is Suleman and Shahzada.’
Mrs Dawood told the paper she still has her son’s 9,090-piece Lego model of the Titanic built over two weeks on display in her kitchen.
‘People are always a bit shocked to see it,’ she says.
An anonymous billionaire may be about to make the first trip to the Titanic since the Titan disaster (Picture: AFP)
‘But what was I going to do? Break it up? Hide it away? Suleman put all those hours in. He’d been fascinated with the Titanic since we went to a huge exhibition when we lived in Singapore.’
Researchers into the disaster realised the sub must have collapsed inwards within a fraction of a second, killing all five men instantaneously.
On hearing the update, Mrs Darwood, who has written a book about her heartbreak, said: ‘My first thought was, “Thank God”…
‘I knew Shahzada and Suleman didn’t even know about it. One moment they were there and the next they weren’t.
‘Knowing they didn’t suffer has been so important. They’re gone, but the way they went does somehow make it easier.’
Since the disaster, Oceangate has suspended its operations and currently has no full-time employees.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was one of five passengers onboard the doomed sub when it imploded (Picture: OceanGate)
Titan report critical of Stockton Rush
A National Transportation Safety Board report states that the faulty engineering of the Titan ‘resulted in the construction of a carbon fiber composite pressure vessel that contained multiple anomalies and failed to meet necessary strength and durability requirements.’
It also stated that OceanGate, the owner of the Titan, failed to adequately test the Titan and was unaware of its true durability.
Eight ‘primary causal factors’ that led to the implosion were identified in the 335-page report, which also criticised OceanGate’s ‘toxic workplace environment’ and ‘disturbing pattern of misrepresentation and reckless disregard for safety’.
The Titan sub was continually used despite ‘a series of incidents that compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components’.
The sub was made of carbon fibre, which an expert told WTX had ‘never been’ an appropriate material to build deep water submarines, because it gets weaker with every dive.
OceanGate’s former director of engineering said the first hull used on the Titan was akin to a ‘high school project’, the US Coast Guard said.riminal offences’ in the case of Mr Rush, saying he had ‘exhibited negligence that contributed to the deaths of four individuals’ and may have been accused of ‘misconduct or neglect of ship officers’ had he survived the incident.
This offence carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years in the US.
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Ukraine announces opening of arms exports to global markets, says Zelenskyy.
10:00 pm
Ukraine announces opening of arms exports to global markets, says Zelenskyy.
Arms Export Shift
Ukraine is opening its arms exports to global markets, with a focus on “Drone Deals” involving drones, missiles, and ammunition, as announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukraine is opening its arms exports to global markets, with a focus on “Drone Deals” involving drones, missiles, and ammunition, as announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Production Capacity
Ukraine’s arms producers have a surplus production capacity reaching 50%, enabling the potential to significantly increase annual drone production beyond 4 million units with adequate funding.
Ukraine’s arms producers have a surplus production capacity reaching 50%, enabling the potential to significantly increase annual drone production beyond 4 million units with adequate funding.
Export Approval
“The export of Ukrainian weapons will become a reality, we have approved all the details at the level of our state institutions,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“The export of Ukrainian weapons will become a reality, we have approved all the details at the level of our state institutions,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Key developments
Ukraine has officially opened its arms exports to global markets, confirmed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This initiative includes an emphasis on “Drone Deals,” which encompass the production and supply of military drones and other weaponry.
Approximately 800 arms producers in Ukraine are set to benefit, as many have significantly increased production volumes. Zelenskyy noted that some weapon categories are reaching a surplus of 50% due to enhanced state investment in the defence sector.
Only countries supporting Ukraine since the 2022 invasion will be eligible for arms exports. Zelenskyy instructed relevant agencies to identify nations that could be barred from receiving weapons due to ties with Russia.
Ukraine says it will open arms exports with ‘Drone Deals,’ but not to all countries
In a much anticipated step, Ukraine is opening up its arms exports to global markets, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday evening.
“The export of Ukrainian weapons will become a reality, we have approved all the details at the level of our state institutions,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.
“Currently, our security expertise and weapons, which have been tested in modern warfare, are of interest to all partners capable of ensuring a real level of protection for their statehood and the lives of their citizens.”
Zelenskyy clarified that exports will be open to countries that have supported Ukraine and will take the form of so-called “Drone Deals.”
These are special agreements on both the production and supply of Ukrainian drones, missiles, ammunition and other in-demand types of weaponry, military equipment and software, as well as the “provision of our expertise and the technological exchange needed by Ukraine.:
Zelenskyy said also that he approved on Tuesday “the areas for this interstate work and the development of automatic permits for businesses regarding arms exports.”
“The algorithm is absolutely clear: at the interstate level, based on the principle of reciprocity, we define the framework for security cooperation through the relevant agreement.”
Then the process continues at the level of state institutions and manufacturers. In order to streamline exports, Kyiv will simplify bureaucratic procedures, “maintaining an adequate level of export control, and launching practical operating mechanisms for companies.”
Controlled export
Both Ukraine’s foreign partners and domestic weapons producers have been waiting for Kyiv to open up an arms exports procedure.
Approximately 800 arms producers are currently operating in Ukraine and many of them have ramped up their production to a significant surplus.
According to the most recent reports, Ukraine is now producing over 4 million drones annually and could double that number with sufficient funding.
Domestic arms producers had been asking Zelenskyy for a year to lift restrictions on selling their domestically-produced military-grade equipment, particularly drones, to generate more revenue.
For over half a year, Kyiv had been working on what it had defined as the “controlled export” of weapons.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said with the clear export structure Ukrainian companies “will receive a real opportunity to enter partner countries’ markets,” but pointed out that the Ukrainian military will get absolute priority in terms of supply needs.
“A surplus of production capacity in Ukraine for certain types of weapons reaches 50% and this is a direct result of our state investment in Ukraine’s defence industry and our cooperation with partners.”
Another condition is that only those countries who have supported Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 will have the opportunity of getting a piece of its battlefield-tested arsenal.
Zelenskyy said he instructed the Foreign Ministry together with the intelligence services and Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) to determine the list of countries “to which exports of our weapons are not possible due to their cooperation with the aggressor state.”
“This is a serious challenge – to prevent our technologies and weapons from falling into Russian hands,” he said.
Gulf region first in line
Zelenskyy confirmed that the format of “Drone Deals” has already been implemented by Kyiv in its cooperation with countries in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Europe and the Caucasus.
He also confirmed that Ukraine has “a proposal on the table with American partners.”
“The terms must be favourable to Ukraine, there must be clear oversight, and the proceeds from exports must help Ukraine defend itself. That is exactly how it will be.”
Kyiv recently signed 10-year defence partnership deals with three Gulf countries, which include maritime drones, electronic warfare and interception technology.
Ukraine’s naval drone fleet has been expanding in recent years and Ukrainian sea drones have proven effective in inflicting heavy losses on Russian military sites and ships in the Black Sea, such as the Magura-V5 drones, which have been used to target the Russian fleet.
Some of these systems can help unblock the crucial Strait of Hormuz, Zelenskyy said in March.
Ukraine is also trying to use the momentum of the Iran war and the escalation in the Middle East as a window of opportunity to strengthen its geopolitical role and transition from a recipient of security aid to a provider.
Gunman opens fire at Athens social security office and courthouse, several wounded
8:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Gunman opens fire at Athens social security office and courthouse, several wounded
A gunman opened fire at a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, wounding several people. The man, identified as an 89-year-old, was armed with a shotgun and initially shot an employee at the National Social Security Fund EFKA before later targeting the courthouse.
Alexandros Varveris, head of the National Social Security Fund EFKA, reported that the gunman opened fire on the fourth floor of the fund’s offices after instructing an employee to “duck,” resulting in an injury to another employee’s leg. Police are conducting a search for the suspect, who is believed to be an 89-year-old man armed with a shotgun.
A police operation is currently ongoing to locate the 89-year-old gunman involved in the shooting at a social security office and courthouse in central Athens. Alexandros Varveris, head of the National Social Security Fund EFKA, provided details of the incident, stating that the gunman shot an employee in the leg after instructing another employee to duck before fleeing the scene.
Athens shooting: Gunman aged 89 on the run after opening fire in city centre | News World
A gunman has opened fire at a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, wounding several people.
A police operation is underway to locate the gunman, who Greek media said was an 89-year-old man.
Police said the man was armed with a shotgun and initially opened fire at a social security office in the centre of the Greek capital, wounding an employee.
The same man was suspected of later opening fire on the ground floor of a court building in Athens, with several people wounded there. His motive remains unclear.
Footage from state broadcaster ERT News showed ambulance crews taking at least three people from the courthouse to waiting ambulances.
ERT said that the gunman reportedly threw envelopes with documents onto the floor after the shooting at the courthouse, saying those were the reasons for his actions.
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Rescuers and police officers are on the scene (Picture: Reuters)
The man’s motive remains unclear (Picture: Reuters)
Alexandros Varveris, head of the National Social Security Fund EFKA, said that the gunman had gone to the fourth floor of the fund’s offices in the Kerameikos area of central Athens and opened fire after calling out to an employee ‘to duck’.
His shot hit another employee, who was wounded in the leg, Varveris said, adding that the gunman had been wearing a trenchcoat under which he had hidden the shotgun.
‘He went in, went up to the fourth floor, raised his shotgun, told an employee to duck and hit another one,’ Varveris told ERT radio.
The wounded man was taken to the hospital after police applied a tourniquet to his leg at the scene.
Gun violence is relatively rare in Greece, where firearm ownership is allowed but tightly regulated.
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Magyar wins Hungary’s election, ending Viktor Orbán’s long tenure
7:00 pm
Magyar wins Hungary’s election, ending Viktor Orbán‘s long tenure
Election Outcome
Hungary’s 12 April election resulted in the victory of Magyar, defeating long-time nationalist premier Viktor Orbán.
Hungary’s 12 April election resulted in the victory of Magyar, defeating long-time nationalist premier Viktor Orbán.
Political Shift
Hungary’s recent election result marked a significant change in leadership, as Magyar ousted long-serving nationalist premier Viktor Orbán, reflecting a drastic shift in political sentiment.
Hungary’s recent election result marked a significant change in leadership, as Magyar ousted long-serving nationalist premier Viktor Orbán, reflecting a drastic shift in political sentiment.
Political Shift
Relations between the two neighbours deteriorated significantly prior to Hungary’s 12 April election, in which Magyar defeated long-time nationalist premier Viktor Orbán.
Relations between the two neighbours deteriorated significantly prior to Hungary’s 12 April election, in which Magyar defeated long-time nationalist premier Viktor Orbán.
Key developments
Relations between Hungary and its neighbours have deteriorated sharply following the 12 April election, where Magyar defeated long-standing premier Viktor Orbán, marking a significant political shift.
The election outcome has intensified scrutiny on Hungary’s foreign policy, with the new government likely to reassess diplomatic engagements and alliances with surrounding nations.
Hungary's incoming PM Péter Magyar offers to meet Ukraine's president in June
Relations between the two neighbours hit rock bottom before Hungary’s 12 April election that saw Magyar beat long-time nationalist premier Viktor Orbán.
Turkey uncovers ancient statue of Athena during excavation in Laodicea
5:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Turkey uncovers ancient statue of Athena during excavation in Laodicea
A 2,000-year-old white marble statue of the goddess Athena was uncovered during excavation work in the ancient city of Laodicea in Turkey. The statue, approximately two metres tall, was found face down in rubble in a theatre within the complex.
Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s culture and tourism minister, announced the discovery of a significant 2,000-year-old statue of Athena in the theatre of Laodicea, describing it as a ‘significant addition’ to the city’s archaeological record. Ongoing excavations at the site, which is regarded as a key cultural heritage area in Denizli Province, aim to preserve and enhance understanding of this ancient location throughout 2026.
Excavation efforts in Laodicea will continue throughout 2026, focusing on the restoration of the Western Theatre and the preservation of its significant archaeological findings. Archaeologists have intensified their work in recent years, uncovering numerous sculptures related to Homeric narratives between 2024 and 2025.
2,000-year-old statue of Athena with Medusa armour unearthed in ancient city | News Tech
Archaeologists recover the headless statue of Athena in Laodicea, found in a theatre at the ancient complex (Picture: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı/Cover Media)
A 2,000-year-old white marble statue of the goddess Athena has been uncovered during excavation work in the ancient city of Laodicea in Turkey.
The sculpture was found lying face down in rubble in a theatre and although the head and arms are yet to be recovered, archaeologists said the surviving structure is notable for both its size and craftsmanship.
Highlights include a finely detailed breastplate adorned with the head of the gorgon Medusa and intricately draped clothing, with a cloak around the neck.
The detailed folds of the garment and the naturalistic texture of the fabric point to a high level of artistic skill.
Archaeologists also noted that the rear of the 6ft (two metre) tall statue was left rough, indicating it was designed to be positioned between columns – a common practice in ancient theatre decoration.
The piece is thought to reflect the classical artistic style of the Augustan period, spanning 27 BC to AD 14.
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The Medusa detail on the statue’s breastplate. Athena was often depicted wearing armour embossed the symbol, which was believed to offer protection (Picture: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı/Cover Media)
Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s culture and tourism ministerannounced the find and said it was a ‘significant addition’ to the ancient city’s rich archaeological record.
‘On March 31, we unveiled a statue of Athena, approximately two metres long and made of white marble, in the theatre building,’ he added.
‘This structure, which served as the setting for Homer’s epics, reveals its central role in cultural storytelling during antiquity, while the work, reflecting the classical style of the Augustan period, stands out with its high artistic quality.’
The site, located in Denizli Province, is regarded as one of the region’s most important cultural heritage areas, with ongoing excavation and restoration work continuing to reveal new insights into life in the ancient world.
Dating back to the 2nd century BC, the Western Theatre’s stage building features a three-storey design with 16 columns on each level.
The space was once richly decorated with statues of gods, rulers and scenes drawn from the epics of Homer.
The statue is two metres tall and made of white marble (Picture: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı/Cover Media)
These included depictions of episodes such as Odysseus’s encounters with the Laestrygonians, the Cyclops Polyphemus and the sea monster Scylla – suggesting the theatre played a role not only in performance but also in preserving and retelling cultural narratives.
Athena was the Greek goddess of war, wisdom and handcraft, who sprang fully formed from the forehead of Zeus. She is often depicted wearing armour with the protective symbol of the Gorgon’s head, as seen on the statue found in Laodicea.
The city was known in antiquity as a centre of textile production and its residents may have venerated Athena more for her role as a weaver than as a warrior.
Excavations at the site have intensified in recent years, with numerous sculptures linked to Homeric narratives uncovered during work carried out between 2024 and 2025.
Officials say restoration efforts at the Western Theatre will continue throughout 2026, as archaeologists work to preserve and better understand one of the ancient world’s most culturally rich sites.
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