World
Archaeologists discover 12,000-year-old pebbles that could provide new insights about the wheel
12,000-year-old perforated stones found over years of excavations in Israel may “represent early evidence for the adoption of spinning with the ’spindle and whorl’ device,” according to newly published research in PLOS ONE.
The wheel-shaped stones were found at Nahal Ein-Gev II in the Jordan Valley of Israel, over many years of excavations. A total of 113 perforated stones have been discovered in the area since 1972.
Of those stones found, 48 of them had complete perforation, 36 were broken items with partial holes present and 29 were unfinished items with one or two drill marks, according to the research.
There were over 100 wheel-shaped stones found in Israel that researchers believe are an early example of a “spindle and whorl” device. (Talia Yashuv)
MOM, SON DIG UP ANCIENT OBJECT OFTEN FOUND NEAR BURIAL GROUNDS WHILE GARDENING
The stones were “dominantly limestone,” co-authors Talia Yasuv and Leore Grosman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in their published research, ranging in weight from 1 to 34 grams.
Researchers came up with several theories about what these perforated stones could be.
“An initial thought was they may have been related to fishing,” Yasuv told Fox News Digital in an email. Researchers ultimately came to the conclusion that, because of the shape of the stones, the material, plus the shape and size of the holes made, that they were most likely spindle whorls.
The perforated stones were found during excavations of the Nahal Ein Gev II (NEG II) in Israel’s Jordan Valley. (Naftali Hilger)
ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND SEVERAL ROCK CARVINGS OF ANCIENT BOARD GAME DATING BACK 4,000 YEARS
High-resolution 3D models were used in this research to study the stones in much more detail.
“For the naked eye, the collection of stones seems highly variable, with no standardization in the sense that every stone in the assemblage is different and unique,” Yashuv said.
“However, the 3D analysis pointed out morphological parameters that showed there are standard measures — for example, width/length ratio, a central location of the centre of mass, the fact that the perforations were located at that point too, and that the minimal width of the perforation is at a constant measure,” Yashuv continued.
The authors of the study noted that their theory could be strengthened by “use wear analysis,” but explained that the particular method was “beyond the scope of the present article.”
The stones were observed in great detail by researchers to gather a better understanding of their past use. Research included 3D modeling as well as a test with replicas to test the stones’ functionality as spindle whorls. (Laurent Davin)
FLORIDA PROFESSOR FIND EVIDENCE THAT ANCIENT EGYPTIANS DRANK HALLUCINOGENIC COCKTAILS
What was done as part of this study, beyond 3D modeling, was a feasibility test to test the functionality of the items as ancient spindle whorls. This was done with the help of Yonit Kristal, a traditional craft-making expert, per the study.
“Although those parameters pointed to the functionality of spindle whorls, we were left with a doubt and therefore ran a feasibility test with replicas we produced,” Yashuv said.
Though Kristal’s first initial attempt didn’t work well, the authors explained in their research, she eventually was able to spin both wool and flax using the pebbles as spindle whorls.
“Surprisingly, the experiment demonstrated that not only do the replicas function well as spindle whorls, but that the parameters we suspected as disadvantageous were actually beneficial for this purpose,” Yashuv said.
Yashuv believes that this discovery is bigger than just a matter of “who’s first.”
“The ‘earliest’ spindle whorl could easily become irrelevant when an additional earlier find will be found,” Yashuv pointed out. “However, since we suggest an explanation to how come the innovation disappeared, if an earlier find would be retrieved, it could join into the general scheme we presented.”
Through the multistep process of studying the perforated rocks, the researchers came to the conclusion that these items could have been spindle whorls that were used to spin fibers.
“In a cumulative evolutionary trend, they manifest early phases of the development of rotational technologies by laying the mechanical principle of the wheel and axle,” the researcher wrote in their study. “All in all, it reflects on the technological innovations that played an important part in the Neolithization processes of the Southern Levant.”
World
War, latest news. Trump: agreement with Iran to be signed soon. Tehran media: approval likely from top officials
Oxfam: ‘Over 540 settler attacks in the West Bank in the first few months of 2026’
A new analysis by Oxfam highlights the exponential rise in attacks by Israeli settlers and military forces in the occupied West Bank: in the first few months of 2026 alone, there were over 540 incidents and “in three years, the number of Palestinian civilians killed has exceeded that of the previous 17 years”, mainly children. According to the report, based on an analysis of data provided by the United Nations, “it is clear that Israel’s annexation plan is accelerating, with mass forced displacements, increased restrictions on Palestinians’ freedom of movement and an unprecedented escalation of violence by settlers and the army”. A plan of ethnic cleansing and annexation that, since 2023, has caused over 46,000 people to be displaced, the construction of over 925 barriers that impede the movement of 3 million people, and an unprecedented wave of violence that has claimed over 1,200 lives, including nearly 270 children. In particular, between 2006 and 2022, Oxfam points out, there were 1,036 victims, including 225 children, whilst since 2023 alone, 1,244 have been recorded, with 268 children killed. This means that, over the last 20 years, one in five killings involved a child, around 22 per cent. By contrast, in the first 17 years under review, 86 Israeli settlers were killed by Palestinians, including 12 children, whilst there were 43 victims, including 10 children, between 2023 and 2025. “The massacre of civilians we are witnessing is painful and disturbing,” said Paolo Pezzati, spokesperson for humanitarian crises at Oxfam Italia – “Whilst the eyes of the world were rightly focused on the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza, following the atrocities committed by Hamas and other armed groups in 2023, an unprecedented wave of violence was unfolding across the West Bank, which has now escalated into a systematic plan of ethnic cleansing. In this context, we are therefore launching an urgent appeal for all necessary diplomatic pressure to be brought to bear on Israel to halt the ongoing annexation plan,” concludes Pezzati.
US: third Iranian oil tanker breaching the blockade neutralised
The US Central Command stated on X that it had intercepted an oil tanker, the third in a week, accused of violating the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command says it struck the M/T Jalveer, flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau, “as it attempted to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman”. “A US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles at the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly refused to obey orders from US forces,” Centcom said.
Meloni: the Council should reflect on the direction of relations between the EU and Israel
“Not only because of what is happening in Lebanon, but also given the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, it is clear that the European Council will need to reflect on the direction of relations between the European Union and Israel.” This was stated by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Chamber of Deputies, in her address ahead of the EU Council meeting. “On this,” she added, “I would like, for once, to see a debate here that goes beyond the emphasis on facile polemics, which certainly yields an immediate return in terms of visibility, but does not reflect the strategic importance that the issue holds for Italia.”
World
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to 30 years over North Korea drone flights
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison Friday in a case that accused him of ordering drone flights over North Korea in an effort to justify his declaration of martial law.
Yoon, 65, was sentenced alongside former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun by the Seoul Central District Court.
The ousted president was previously sentenced to life in prison for leading an insurrection following his declaration of martial law in December 2024.
North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang to drop propaganda leaflets on three occasions in October 2024.
SOUTH KOREAN LAWMAKERS SUPPORT SUSPENDING PRESIDENT’S POWERS AFTER SHORT-LIVED MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION
South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul on Feb. 11, 2025. (Lee Jin-man/AP)
Then-Defense Minister Kim initially issued a vague denial before South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it could neither confirm nor deny the allegations.
Although tensions between the two Koreas escalated following the incident, the drone flights did not lead to any military clashes.
Prosecutors accused Yoon of attempting to create a crisis with North Korea while plotting an authoritarian power grab aimed at removing political opponents and consolidating control.
SOUTH KOREAN COURT RULES EX‑PRESIDENT YOON SUK YEOL GUILTY IN INSURRECTION TRIAL
Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally outside the Seoul High Court in Seoul on April 29, 2026. (Ahn Young-joon/AP)
Before declaring martial law, Yoon delivered a televised address accusing liberal lawmakers of sympathizing with North Korea.
Yoon has argued that he possessed the constitutional authority to declare martial law and said the move was intended to draw attention to what he viewed as obstruction by opposition parties.
His attempt to impose martial law lasted roughly six hours before lawmakers voted to overturn it amid mass public protests.
Yoon was arrested in July 2025 and continues to face multiple criminal proceedings.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
South Korea’s ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at Seoul Central District Court in Seoul to attend his trial on charges related to declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2025. (Ahn Young-joon/AP)
The insurrection verdict has been appealed by both Yoon and prosecutors, who had sought the death penalty.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Tinubu takes victorious tone despite recent mass kidnappings by armed groups across the country.
Published On 12 Jun 2026
Nigeria’s military has “neutralised” more than 13,000 “terrorists” in the past year, the president says, as armed groups and criminal gangs continue to carry out mass attacks and kidnappings in the country.
In a televised national address on Friday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the death toll from Nigeria’s fight against armed rebels is down 81 percent since he took power in 2023.
list of 3 itemsend of listRecommended Stories
Tinubu added that “124,000 fighters and dependants have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor,” a programme aimed at rehabilitating repentant armed group members who voluntarily lay down their arms.
Tinubu’s speech was in commemoration of Nigeria’s Democracy Day, which marks the end of several years of military rule and the restoration of democracy in 1999.
However, despite the victorious tone of his speech, Africa’s second-biggest economy is in the throes of a spiralling insecurity crisis that has seen armed groups linked to ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda, as well as criminal gangs, abduct citizens for ransom money.
Soft targets, including schools, churches and mosques, particularly in vulnerable rural communities with limited state security presence, have been particularly at risk.
While armed groups initially limited their operations to the country’s north, they have begun spreading through thick forest corridors to attack targets in the country’s southwest.
Officials say the groups are shifting base because of military pressure on their locations.
Following unfounded allegations of a “Christian genocide” in the country by US President Donald Trump late last year, the United States military has since begun supporting Nigeria in conducting precision strikes on armed group locations. In February, 100 American soldiers were deployed to Nigeria.
Scores of people have been abducted since January alone, including teachers and pupils as young as four years old. The latest incident in May saw 46 people kidnapped from a school in southwest Oyo state.
On Monday, the Nigerian military said it rescued 360 people kidnapped by ISIL-linked Boko Haram and held in a remote mountain hideout in northern Borno State.
-
West Virginia32 seconds agoLet’s Go Fishing – WV MetroNews
-
Wyoming8 minutes agoJune 11 recap: Wyoming news you may have missed today
-
Crypto11 minutes agoHyperliquid Whale Holds 81% Short Book and $2.7M Profit as HYPE Bet Pays off
-
Finance15 minutes agoExclusive: U.S. bank regulators ramp up scrutiny of AI use at financial companies
-
Fitness23 minutes agoGiving back through science: Rowan Wagner’s journey in exercise science at UW‑Superior | All In Wisconsin
-
Movie Reviews31 minutes agoSpielberg returns to familiar alien territory in ‘Disclosure Day’
-
World41 minutes agoWar, latest news. Trump: agreement with Iran to be signed soon. Tehran media: approval likely from top officials
-
News46 minutes agoICE Wants Local Police to Enforce Immigration Law. These Officers Signed Up.
