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Elite women, perhaps princesses, played a crucial role in holding the Xiongnu, one of the first nomadic empires of the eastern Eurasian Steppe, together, a new study suggests.

The Xiongnu, who may have been among the ancient ancestors of the Mongols, formed a confederation of nomadic peoples who controlled much of Central Asia, from present-day Kazakhstan to Mongolia, from about the second century B.C. until the first century A.D. 

But little is known about them, except for some Chinese records and recent genetic studies based on ancient DNA from their buried remains, said Bryan Miller (opens in new tab) , an archaeologist at the University of Michigan. 

“This was an empire with extreme genetic diversity,” he told Live Science. “To call oneself Xiongnu at that time was to call oneself a participant in this massive empire.”

Miller is one of the lead authors of a new study exploring the genetics of remains found in Xiongnu graves in the foothills of the southern Altai Mountains, near what would have been the imperial frontier. The research was published in the journal Science Advances (opens in new tab) on April 14.

Related: Mysterious East Asians vanished during the ice age. This group replaced them.

An elite female’s coffin, decorated with gold sun and moon symbols of the Xiongnu, was found at the Takhiltiin Khotgor site, Mongolian Altai. (Image credit: J. Bayarsaikhan) Nomad princesses

DNA testing at two Xiongnu cemeteries showed that the people buried in the largest tombs were women who were closely related to people from the heartlands of the Xiongnu Empire — roughly in the middle of modern Mongolia — whose genetics were already known (opens in new tab) . 

The women were buried with rich grave goods, including ornamental gold disks, pieces of bronze chariots and horse gear. But the ancient DNA from the remains in the smaller tombs showed a much wider genetic diversity, suggesting those people often came from far-flung regions of the empire — from the Black Sea region to Eastern Mongolia, Miller said.

The tomb of a high-status aristocratic woman was excavated at Takhiltiin Khotgor, Mongolian Altai. (Image credit: Michel Neyroud)

This finding suggests that the elite families who controlled the Xiongnu Empire probably sent their women to the frontiers in order to cement political alliances with local elites. Miller noted that the most special burials were given only to these elite women, who seem to have been involved in the politics of relatively remote regions.

“They are representatives of the imperial clan that ruled the empire,” he said. “You’ve got these marriage alliances spanning the whole empire, even in these local communities.”

Miller said these elite women maintained their high status throughout their lives, which was reflected in their special burials. That suggested they were active participants in the plan, and not just the tools of their male relatives. “They really played an active role,” he said. “They were part of it.”Ancient empire

The main source of information about the Xiongnu comes from Chinese records, who saw them as foreign enemies along China’s northern and western borders.

Indeed, the name Xiongnu is thought to be a pejorative term, because its Chinese characters also spell “fierce slave.” 

A Xiongnu child’s bow and arrow kit from a burial the Shombuuziin Belchir cemetery. (Image credit: Bryan K. Miller)

Miller said that some of the earliest fortifications of what later became the Great Wall of China were built in an attempt to stop Xiongnu raids into Chinese lands. “It was a way to control that very vibrant frontier,” he said. 

Eventually, the Xiongnu were divided by civil wars. Some groups became tributaries of Chinese states, while some were conquered by other steppe peoples.related stories—Medieval Swahilis and Persians paired up 1,000 years ago in East Africa, ancient DNA reveals

—World’s oldest human DNA found in 800,000-year-old tooth of a cannibal

—Enslaved people were kidnapped from all across Africa, rare look at DNA from colonial cemetery reveals

Archaeologist Ursula Brosseder (opens in new tab) of the University of Bonn in Germany, who wasn’t involved in the research, said the new study showed how the investigation of ancient DNA was moving away from the large-scale genetics of populations and toward the genetics of particular localities.

“The field of ancient genetics is now shifting,” she told Live Science. “So far, most of the studies we have seen concerned the genetics of population structures, such as when large migrations happened. But with this study, we’ve just zoomed into one society and used genetics as a tool to get a better understanding of how that society worked,” she said.

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Former Kentucky police officer Brett Hankison sentenced to three years in prison over Breonna Taylor death

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Former Kentucky police officer Brett Hankison sentenced to three years in prison over Breonna Taylor death

A former Kentucky police officer has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the botched drugs raid that killed Breonna Taylor.

Brett Hankison’s 10 shots did not hit anyone – but he is the only person at the scene charged over her death in 2020.

The sentence comes despite the US Department of Justice recommending he should not be locked up.

District judge Rebecca Grady Jennings disagreed, arguing that not imprisoning him would minimise the jury’s verdict.

She said she was “startled” people weren’t hurt by his excessive shooting. Hankison’s shots narrowly missed a neighbouring family after they pierced the walls of Ms Taylor’s apartment.

Ms Taylor, 26, was killed in March 2020 when Louisville officers carried out a “no-knock” warrant and broke down her door.

Her boyfriend thought it was someone breaking in and fired a single shot in self-defence, hitting one officer in the leg.

More on Breonna Taylor

Three officers responded with 32 shots, six of which struck and killed Ms Taylor.

She was hit in her hallway by bullets from two officers, but neither was charged after prosecutors said they were justified in returning fire.

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Sept 2020 – Breonna Taylor protesters block Brooklyn Bridge

It later emerged police were actually searching for an ex-partner of Ms Taylor – an alleged drug dealer – who did not live at the address.

Her death, along with other killings of black people in 2020 including George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, sparked protests around the US and the world.

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Sept 2020 – Breonna Taylor’s family win £9m settlement

On Monday, Hankison, 49, was sentenced to 33 months with three years of supervised probation.

He won’t be locked up immediately and it will be for the US Bureau of Prisons to decide when and where he will be imprisoned.

A statement from Ms Taylor’s family said: “While today’s sentence is not what we had hoped for – nor does it fully reflect the severity of the harm caused – it is more than what the Department of Justice sought. That, in itself, is a statement.”

Three other former police officers who weren’t at the scene have been charged with crafting a falsified warrant but have not gone to trial.

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Lucid owners gain full access to Tesla’s Supercharger network, but with a big caveat

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Lucid owners gain full access to Tesla's Supercharger network, but with a big caveat

Lucid Motors announced that its Air owners will gain full access to Tesla’s Supercharger stations in North America starting July 31.

But there’s a big caveat.

Owners of the newly available Lucid Gravity already have access to Tesla’s Supercharger network as the vehicle is equipped with a native NACS charge port.

However, the Lucid Air, Lucid’s luxury electric sedan, is still equipped with the CCS1 port and requires an adapter to utilize the Supercharger network.

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Lucid announced today that Air owners will gain access on July 31:

All Lucid Air owners, regardless of model or model year, will gain access to the North American Tesla Supercharger network starting July 31, 2025. Unlike the Lucid Gravity, with its native NACS charge port and high-tech boost charging capabilities, Lucid Air uses a NACS adapter available from Lucid to plug into compatible Tesla Superchargers (V3 and above). The DC NACS to CCS1 adapter will be priced at $220 US excluding taxes.

The only problem is that Air owners are going to be limited to just a 50 kW peak charge rate using this adapter. Lucid wrote in the release:

Using this solution, the Air can charge at up to 50 kW and gain up to 200 miles of range per hour of charging, giving owners additional peace of mind while on the road. With the adapter, owners will be able to initiate charging on Tesla Superchargers via the Lucid App, with a credit card saved to their Lucid Wallet.

This will significantly limit the network’s usefulness for Air owners and increase traffic due to longer charging sessions. The reason for the limitation is currently unclear.

However, many Lucid owners are likely to choose stations where they can take advantage of the 300 kW peak charge rate of the Air.

Emad Dlala, Senior Vice President of Powertrain at Lucid Motors, commented on the announcement:

“In addition to offering the longest-range electric vehicle available, Lucid is committed to offering our customers seamless and wide access to public charging. Access to the Tesla Supercharging network for the Lucid Air is yet another major milestone.”

Electric automakers have all been transitioning their vehicles to the NACS connector in North America to standardize charge connectors and take advantage of Tesla’s Supercharger network, which is the most extensible and reliable EV fast-charging network in North America.

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Let the deals begin! MLB trade deadline updates: Latest rumors and analysis

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Let the deals begin! MLB trade deadline updates: Latest rumors and analysis

The 2025 MLB trade deadline is just around the corner, with contending teams deciding what they need to add before 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 31.

Could Jarren Duran be on the move from the Boston Red Sox? Will the Arizona Diamondbacks deal Eugenio Suarez and Zac Gallen to contenders? And who among the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies will go all-in to boost their 2024 World Series hopes?

Whether your favorite club is looking to add or deal away — or stands somewhere in between — here’s the freshest intel we’re hearing, reaction to completed deals and what to know for every team as trade season unfolds.

More: Top 50 trade candidates | Passan: Contender plans | Trades for every team

Jump to …: Trending names | Latest intel


MLB trade deadline trending names

1. Eugenio Suarez: The Arizona Diamondbacks star is No. 1 in our updated MLB trade deadline candidate rankings and could be the most impactful player to move this month. On pace to hit more than 50 home runs, the 2025 All-Star is on the wish list of every contender in need of third-base help.

2. Sandy Alcantara: The 2022 Cy Young winner is an intriguing option in a deadline with a dearth of impact starting pitching available. His ERA is over 7.00 for the Miami Marlins this season, but some contenders believe he could regain form in a new home.

3. Jhoan Duran: This deadline is suddenly teeming with high-end relievers who will at the very least be in the rumor mill during the coming days. If the Minnesota Twins opt to move their closer — and his devastating splinker — Duran might be the best of the bunch.


MLB trade deadline buzz

July 22 updates

Why the 2022 Cy Young winner isn’t the most in-demand Marlins starter: Edward Cabrera has become more coveted than Sandy Alcantara, who teams believe might take an offseason to fix. Alcantara’s strikeout-to-walk ratio is scary low — just 1.9 — and his ERA is 7.14. Cabrera, on the other hand, is striking out more than a batter per inning and his ERA sits at 3.61. The 27-year-old right-hander will come at a heavy cost for opposing teams. — Jesse Rogers


How Kansas City is approaching the trade deadline: The Royals have signaled a willingness to trade, but with an eye toward competing again next year — meaning they aren’t willing to part with the core of their pitching staff. Other teams say Kansas City is (unsurprisingly) looking to upgrade its future offense in whatever it does.

Right-handed starter Seth Lugo will be the most-watched Royal before the deadline, since he holds a $15 million player option for 2026 “that you’d assume he’s going to turn down,” said one rival staffer. That’ll make it more difficult for other teams to place a trade value on him: The Royals could want to market him as more than a mere rental, while other teams figure he’ll go into free agency in the fall when he turns down his option. — Buster Olney


What the Dodgers need at the deadline: The Dodgers’ offense has been a source of consternation lately, with Max Muncy out, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman slumping, and key hitters tasked with lengthening out the lineup — Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman amd Michael Conforto — also struggling.

But the Dodgers’ focus ahead of the deadline is still clearly the bullpen, specifically a high-leverage, right-handed reliever. Dodgers relievers lead the major leagues in innings pitched by a wide margin. Blake Treinen will be back soon, and Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol are expected to join him later in the season. But the Dodgers need at least one other trusted arm late in games.

It’s a stunning development, considering they returned the core of a bullpen that played a big role in last year’s championship run, then added Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in free agency. But Scott and Yates have had their struggles, and there are enough injury concerns with several others that it’s a need. — Alden Gonzalez


Which D-backs starter is most coveted? The Diamondbacks are getting as many calls — if not more — about Zac Gallen as they are for Merrill Kelly even though the latter starting pitcher is having the better season. Teams interested in adding to their rotations still have more faith in the 29-year-old Gallen than the 36-year-old Kelly. — Rogers


Who are the White Sox looking to deal? Chicago’s Adrian Houser seems likely to move, as a second-tier starter who has performed well this season. The 32-year-old right-hander was released by the Rangers in May but has been very effective since joining the White Sox rotation, giving up only two homers in 57⅔ innings and generating an ERA+ of 226. Nobody is taking those numbers at face value, but evaluators do view him as a market option. The White Sox also have some relievers worth considering.

But it seems unlikely that Luis Robert Jr. — once projected as a centerpiece of this deadline — will be dealt, unless a team makes a big bet on a player who has either underperformed or been hurt this year. The White Sox could continue to wait on Robert’s talent to manifest and his trade value to be restored by picking up his $20 million option for next year, which is hardly out of the question for a team with little future payroll obligation. — Olney


Why Rockies infielder could be popular deadline option: Colorado’s Ryan McMahon is the consolation prize for teams that miss out on Eugenio Suarez — if he’s traded at all. The Cubs could have interest and would pair him with Matt Shaw as a lefty/righty combo at third base. — Rogers


Does San Diego have enough to offer to make a big deal? The Padres have multiple needs ahead of the trade deadline — a left fielder, a catcher, a back-end starter. How adequately they can address them remains to be seen. The upper levels of their farm system have thinned out in recent years, and their budget might be tight.

The Padres dipped under MLB’s luxury-tax threshold this year, resetting the penalties. But FanGraphs projects their competitive balance tax payroll to finish at $263 million this year, easily clearing the 2025 threshold and just barely putting them into the second tier, triggering a 12% surcharge.

Padres general manager A.J. Preller might have to get creative in order to address his needs. One way he can do that is by buying and selling simultaneously. The Padres have several high-profile players who can hit the market this offseason — Dylan Cease, Michael King, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez — and a few others who can hit the open market after 2026. Don’t be surprised to see Preller leverage at least one of those players, and their salaries, to help fill multiple needs. — Gonzalez


Which Orioles could be on the move? Not surprisingly, Baltimore is perceived as a dealer and is expected by other teams to move center fielder Cedric Mullins, first baseman/designate hitter Ryan O’Hearn and some relievers. — Olney

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