Category Archives: Gay

2025.12.30

Iceland has hottest Christmas Eve ever with temperature of 19.8C recorded
Meteorological office reports high temperatures across country and record measured at Seyðisfjörður in east
Helena Horton Environment reporter
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/30/iceland-record-temperatures-christmas-eve-met-office-seyisfjorur

Five charts that explain the global economic outlook for 2026
Inflation is predicted to cool but uncertainty over AI-driven growth and trade policy poses risks in the year ahead
Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/30/five-charts-that-explain-the-global-economic-outlook-for-2026

Top 5 local news stories of 2025: Feeding Our Future, immigration and fraud
Aimee Bock was convicted at trial this year, immigration detainees said they’re being held in detention for long periods of time and Minneapolis attempts to enforce police reforms.
by Joey Peters
https://sahanjournal.com/news/top-5-local-news-stories-2025-feeding-our-future-immigration/

Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway predict: https://youtu.be/98aQh7e6qh0

George Clooney and wife Amal granted French citizenship
The actor said privacy laws protecting children from paparazzi were a key factor in the family’s decision
Agence France-Presse
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/29/george-clooney-wife-amal-granted-french-citizenship

‘A total knockout!’ The best television you never watched in 2025
From the most beautiful show Netflix has ever made to a thriller about a menopausal hitwoman and a dazzling documentary set in outer space, here are some TV gems that may have passed you by this year
Kate Abbott, Alexi Duggins, Phil Harrison, Stuart Heritage and Hollie Richardson
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/29/a-total-knockout-the-best-television-you-never-watched-in-2025

‘There is a crack in everything’: capturing the dark of winter – in pictures
How do you photograph darkness? A question Sarah Lee considers with her work as the nights draw in: ‘I’ve always been drawn to photographing the darkness as the winter months draw in after the clocks go back and we head towards the solstice. I wondered why that was given that the world itself seems so dark at the moment. I realised this year that it is not the darkness I’m photographing, but, rather, the light. Always the light.’
Sarah Lee
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/dec/30/there-is-a-crack-in-everything-capturing-the-dark-of-winter-in-pictures

The Pitt to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: 12 of the best TV shows to watch this January (Paywalled)
Caryn James
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20251224-12-of-the-best-tv-shows-to-watch-this-january

Will came out in Stranger Things, but did we like it?
The internet is, um, divided on the long-awaited scene.
Rachel Shatto
https://www.out.com/gay-tv-shows/stranger-things-will#rebelltitem1

2025.12.23

Just when the holiday travel season is upon us, flu cases have begun to surge, KSTP reports. “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported nearly 1,900 cases and 558 hospitalizations in its latest weekly update, with the highest cases among children aged 4 and younger and adults 65 and older. Seniors accounted for most hospitalizations.” Travelers should be aware if they are sick and need to fly, and handwashing and mask-wearing can help to stave off the virus as well as protect others. Via MinnPost
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/flu-cases-in-minnesota-spike-just-as-holiday-travel-begins/

Do you live on a property with a private well? If so, it might be worth testing it for safety. MPR News reports on a free water screening clinic that “are put on by the Minnesota Well Owners Organization, Mayo Clinic, Freshwater Society, the United State Geological Survey and the Minnesota Groundwater Association. … Recent research from Mayo Clinic shows a significant reliance on well water use in the Midwest and unanimous support for the need for further well water testing information and resources for patients and their clinicians.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/22/private-well-owners-in-minnesota-encouraged-to-test-for-arsenic-other-contaminants

Number of people in ICE detention hits record high, data shows
ICE held more than 68,400 people as of 14 December, breaking previous high set at beginning of December
Will Craft and Andrew Witherspoon in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/22/ice-detentions-record-immigration

US regulators approve Wegovy pill, first oral medication to treat obesity
Food and Drug Administration’s approval hands drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge in the race to market an obesity pill
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/22/us-regulators-approve-wegovy-weight-loss-pill

Trump administration plans to promote loyal diplomats after recall of 30 ambassadors, sources say
Move comes as union representing US diplomats said it was ‘deeply concerned’ by the process, which could ‘politicise’ foreign service
Andrew Roth, global affairs correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/23/trump-administration-recalls-30-ambassadors-promote-loyal-diplomats

Trump’s attacks on Somali community are eroding inroads that boosted GOP in 2024
Some Somalis who voted for Trump are rethinking their alignment with the Republican Party after the president’s targeted attacks on their community.
by Atra Mohamed and Shubhanjana Das
https://sahanjournal.com/democracy-politics/somali-republicans-trump-vote-ice-target/

‘For the first time, she could tell people who she was’: Ireland’s gender recognition decade
Ireland’s 2015 Gender Recognition Act was born in an era of optimism and consensus, but as gender-critical activism grows so does debate whether it can hold
Libby Brooks
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/23/ireland-gender-recognition-act-decade

Are sweet potatoes healthy?
This holiday staple is also one of the world’s oldest crops – here’s what to know about adding sweet potatoes to your diet
Adrienne Matei
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/dec/19/are-sweet-potatoes-healthy

‘I want that escape route’: Americans seek dual citizenships under Trump
Some US citizens, grappling with issues from LGBTQ+ rights to the economy, are looking to the countries their families once left behind
Jessica Furseth
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/22/us-families-dual-citizenship-under-trump

2025.12.22

‘Miracle’ of Zealandia: chick is born to rare takahē pair thought to be infertile
Unexpected arrival is a boon for birdlife in New Zealand, where there are only 500 takahē left
Eva Corlett in Wellington
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/21/takahe-chick-rare-born-new-zealand

A mildly subversive gift guide: 10 banned books for curious and rebellious US readers
Gift a banned book to the defiant reader in your life this holiday season. Our picks by Toni Morrison, Alice Walker and others have all faced US challenges or bans
Ruth Minah Buchwald
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/dec/21/banned-books-gift-ideas-guide

From Dr Seuss to All Quiet on the Western Front: 19 books to help you find hope, sense and resistance in difficult times
Writers, activists and politicians on the books they turn to for wisdom and perspective – and to restore their faith in human nature
Paul Daley
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/21/from-dr-seuss-to-all-quiet-on-the-western-front-19-books-to-help-you-find-hope-sense-and-resistance-in-difficult-times

The kindness of strangers: a boy picked up my spilled shopping when I was too pregnant to reach the ground
I’d turned around for a second but that was all it took for my trolley to start rolling away. Before I could react, it tipped over
Nicki Wright as told to Katie Cunningham
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/22/kindness-strangers-spilled-shopping-pregnant

I’m a Grinch and my husband is like Buddy the Elf – here is how we found a Christmas compromise
Polly Hudson
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/21/im-a-grinch-and-my-husband-is-like-buddy-the-elf-here-is-how-we-found-a-christmas-compromise

Sea change: the drive to restore millions of oysters on the Norfolk coast
The first ever mass deployment of mother reef bricks aims to rebuild habitats – and could reshape the North Sea
Amelia Hill
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/dec/21/norfolk-coast-oysters-project

Mayo Clinic has closed six rural health clinics across the state, MPR News reports. The cities of St. Peter, Montgomery, Wells, Belle Plaine, Caledonia and Mankato’s Northridge clinic have all closed this month. “Mayo Clinic Health Systems, a global medical behemoth that raked in close to $20 billion in revenue last year and reported a $1.3 billion operating profit, has cited the difficulty and expense of staffing and maintaining the medical facilities as reasons for the closures.”  Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/19/mayo-clinic-closes-6-rural-minnesota-health-clinics-more-may-follow

Can battery-operated brain implants treat bipolar disorder?
A Q&A with the University of Minnesota’s Ziad Nahas, who leads a team of researchers experimenting with brain stimulation to alleviate symptoms of severe bipolar disorder
by Andy Steiner
https://www.minnpost.com/mental-health-addiction/2025/12/can-battery-operated-brain-implants-treat-bipolar-disorder/

Revealed: how big businesses are rolling back public support for Pride
Guardian analysis of 20 major companies in UK and US shows mentions of Pride on social media have fallen substantially in past two years
Chris Osuh, Raphael Boyd and Geneva Abdul
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/22/revealed-how-big-businesses-are-rolling-back-public-support-for-pride

I thought an edible would take the edge off family Christmas. I spent the day on the floor
Bunny Banyai
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/22/edible-take-edge-off-family-christmas-day-on-floor

2025.12.21

Danish postal service to stop delivering letters after 400 years
PostNord’s decision to end service on 30 December comes after fear over ‘increasing digitalisation’ of Danish society
Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/21/denmark-postnord-postal-delivery-letters-society

NHS to trial potentially life-saving treatment for deadly liver disease
Acute-on-chronic liver failure will be treated with device that cleans patients’ blood corrupted by toxins
Denis Campbell Health policy editor
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/21/nhs-to-trial-potentially-life-saving-treatment-for-deadly-liver-disease

First wheelchair-using astronaut touches down after ride to edge of space
Michaela Benthaus from Germany soared 65 miles above the Earth’s surface in 10-minute Blue Origin flight
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/dec/20/first-wheelchair-using-astronaut-blur-origin-rocket

The US healthcare system hurts poor Americans. It’s about to get worse
Eduardo Porter
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/21/us-healthcare-system-trump

The Trump administration is trying to legislate trans people out of existence
Judith Levine
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/21/trump-administration-trans-people

Thanks to Donald Trump, 2025 was a good year … for white-collar criminals
Casey Michel
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/dec/21/trump-white-collar-criminals

A tape measure, a metal detector and a spirit level: 25 surprisingly useful things you can do with your phone
While many use our phones predominantly to doomscroll, smartphones have a range of little-known functions that could make life better and easier – from heart monitoring to even developing camera film
Chris Stokel-Walker
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/21/a-tape-measure-a-metal-detector-and-a-spirit-level-25-surprisingly-useful-things-you-can-do-with-your-phone

‘I feel special, in my heart’: thousands gather at Stonehenge for winter solstice
People, including druids and pagans, come from across world to watch sunrise on shortest day of the year
Raphael Boyd
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/dec/21/stonehenge-winter-solstice

2025.12.16

Water levels across the Great Lakes are falling – just as US data centers move in
Region struggling with drought now threatened by energy-hungry facilities – but some residents are fighting back
Stephen Starr in Erie County, Ohio
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/16/great-lakes-us-data-centers

Venezuela’s militia and a Statue of Liberty replica: photos of the day – Tuesday
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Warning: graphic content
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2025/dec/16/venezuela-militia-statue-of-liberty-replica-photos-of-the-day-tuesday

Snow White to The Smashing Machine: 10 of the biggest film flops of 2025
Nicholas Barber (Paywalled)
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20251212-10-biggest-film-flops-of-2025

50 years ago, Minneapolis redefined LGBTQ+ rights
On December 30, 1975, just before the New Year, the city council passed trans-inclusive protections unlike anything the U.S. has been able to achieve.
Kate Sosin
https://19thnews.org/2025/12/minneapolis-redefined-lgbtq-history-1975/

Why your early 2000s photos are probably lost forever
(Paywalled?)
Julia Bensfield Luce
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251212-why-your-early-2000s-photos-are-probably-lost-forever


2025.12.15

Who gets bragging rights for the coldest temperatures on Sunday? According to Bring Me The News, Pine River had the coldest air temperature at -28, while the wind chill in Their River Falls dipped to -41. Minneapolis was a relatively balmy -10.  Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-weather/here-are-the-coldest-temps-and-wind-chills-sunday-in-minnesota

From Seinfeld to Shawshank, Rob Reiner changed Hollywood for ever
Reiner’s own films reshaped modern comedy and drama with their intelligence, empathy and range. But through his company, Castle Rock, he paved the way for Seinfeld, Sorkin and many more
Andrew Pulver
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/15/rob-reiner-director-this-is-spinal-tap-when-harry-met-sally

US librarians tackle ‘manufactured crisis’ of book bans to protect LGBTQ+ rights
In at least half a dozen states, librarians have joined forces with civil rights groups to oppose book bans, often facing personal and professional repercussions
Claire Wang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/15/us-librarianbook-bans-lgbtq-rights

‘Oysters are a risk, as is raw meat’: why you get food poisoning – and how to avoid it
Several kinds of bacteria can give you an upset stomach. Here is how to steer clear of the worst offenders, and what to do if they do make it through
Joel Snape
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/15/why-food-poisoning-how-to-avoid-oysters-raw-meat

The US supreme court’s TikTok ruling is a scandal
Evelyn Douek and Jameel Jaffer
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/15/supreme-court-tiktok-ruling

A hurricane destroyed their homes in Jamaica. Now they fear losing the jobs they rely on in the US
Thousands of Jamaican workers who come to the US on an H-2A visa say they aren’t sure if they’ll be able to return from one year to the next
Michael Sainato
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/15/foreign-farm-workers-trump-immigration

Roomba maker iRobot files for bankruptcy, pursues manufacturer buyout
By Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/technology/irobot-enters-chapter-11-lender-acquire-roomba-maker-2025-12-15/

2025.12.12

Mike Lindell has officially decided to throw his pillow, er, hat, into the ring, WCCO reports. The MyPillow founder and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump has joined the contest to be the GOP nominee for governor of Minnesota. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is running for an unprecedented third consecutive term. Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/mike-lindell-minnesota-governor-republican-campaign-mypillow/

Trump signs executive order aimed at preventing states from regulating AI
Order, which lacks the force of law, also creates taskforce whose ‘sole responsibility’ will be challenging states’ AI laws
Nick Robins-Early and Dara Kerr
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/11/trump-executive-order-artificial-intelligence

‘Soil is more important than oil’: inside the perennial grain revolution
Scientists in Kansas believe Kernza could cut emissions, restore degraded soils and reshape the future of agriculture
By Ben Martynoga in Kansas
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/12/soil-is-more-important-than-oil-inside-the-perennial-grain-revolution

Dozens killed in hospital strike in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state
Conflict monitors say the junta has increased airstrikes year-on-year since the start of Myanmar’s civil war
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/12/dozens-killed-in-hospital-strike-in-myanmars-western-rakhine-state

Changes to polar bear DNA could help them adapt to global heating, study finds
Scientists say bears in southern Greenland differ genetically to those in the north, suggesting they could adjust
Helena Horton Environment reporter
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/12/changes-to-polar-bear-dna-could-help-them-adapt-to-global-heating-study-finds

Papua New Guinea grapples with HIV epidemic as it battles stigma and US aid cuts
Papua New Guinea has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the Asia-Pacific region, with many unaware they have the virus
Marjorie Finkeo in Port Moresby and Virginia Harrison
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/12/papua-new-guinea-hiv-epidemic-stigma-us-aid-cuts

‘Men explicitly loving men is so threatening to the status quo’: why are gay male pop stars being shut out of the music industry?
Not long ago, artists such as Lil Nas X and Olly Alexander were ruling pop. But success has stalled as acts face industry obstacles and rising homophobia. What now?
Jeffrey Ingold
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/12/gay-male-pop-stars-being-shut-out-of-the-music-industry-lil-nas-x-olly-alexander

Review
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup
Halcyon Years by Alastair Reynolds; Paris Fantastique by Nicholas Royle; All Tomorrows by CM Kosemen; The Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson; The Witching Hour by various authors
Lisa Tuttle
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/12/the-best-recent-science-fiction-fantasy-and-horror-review-roundup

The Director to Flesh: The 25 best books of 2025
Rebecca Laurence and Lindsay Baker
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250619-the-best-books-of-2025

‘It’s amazing’ – the wonder material very few can make
Chris Baraniuk
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c24l223d9n7o

‘Beyond gender’: Psychedelics are revealing hidden sides to people’s identity
By Rachel Nuwer
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251211-psychedelics-are-altering-how-people-see-their-own-gender-and-sexuality

2025.12.09

Anybody heard of a rehearsal? Mangling nominees’ names may be traditional – but it’s still embarrassing
Yesterday’s Golden Globes announcement was a masterclass in mispronunciation that threatens to undo every effort to internationalise awards. Why can’t producers just make their presenters practise?
Stuart Heritage
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/09/anybody-heard-of-a-rehearsal-mangling-nominees-names-may-be-traditional-but-its-still-embarrassing

Review
Heated Rivalry: this horny gay ice hockey drama has everyone talking – but is it any good?
HBO’s new show is part of a wave of gay-themed romance – from Heartstopper to Red, White and Royal Blue – that desexes gay men just enough to make them palatable, like pets for young women
Tim Byrne
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/08/heated-rivalry-ice-hockey-tv-show-review

Pluribus to Alien: Earth: The 25 best TV shows of 2025
Caryn James and Hugh Montgomery
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250417-the-best-tv-shows-of-2025

‘This is the real Santa’s workshop’: a trip to Germany’s toy village
You don’t have to be a child to enjoy Seiffen, the magical ‘home of Christmas’ where they’ve been making traditional wooden toys for hundreds of years
Rebecca Smith
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/09/germanys-toy-village-seiffen-home-christmas

A new start after 60: I moved on to a boat, fell in love – then opened my own restaurant
After a lifetime of working for others, Rich Baker threw caution to the wind. The result was a national award for his pizza and a surprising surge in confidence
Paula Cocozza
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/08/new-start-after-60-moved-to-boat-fell-in-love-opened-restaurant

‘When the church door opens, it’s like a miracle’: the phone app that’s a key to Italy’s religious art
A cultural initiative in Piedmont is unlocking a trove of priceless medieval frescoes in rural churches
Lavinia Nocelli
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/08/new-app-helped-me-discover-beautiful-art-churches-chapels-piedmont-italy

We asked activists from authoritarian regimes what they wish they’d known sooner. Here’s what they said
Activists from Hungary, El Salvador and Turkey offer advice to the US about what they’ve learned about authoritarians
Danielle Renwick
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/09/experts-authoritarian-regimes-trump

Minnesota’s budget is headed for an imbalance, but who or what’s to blame? We asked economists to weigh in
Spending on health and human services is growing, but so is economic volatility from tariffs and other federal policies.
by Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/economy/2025/12/minnesotas-budget-is-headed-for-an-imbalance-but-who-or-whats-to-blame-we-asked-economists-to-weigh-in/

The anti-materialist Christmas: Rituals around the world that swap gifts for meaning
Laura Hall
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20251208-the-anti-materialist-christmas-rituals-around-the-world-that-swap-gifts-for-meaning

Pioneering new treatment reverses incurable blood cancer in some patients
James Gallagher
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj38ymeyg4mo

New mpox strain identified in England
Philippa Roxby
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2087g0z9po

2025.12.06

Swedish navy encountering Russian submarines ‘almost weekly’ – and more could be on the way
Moscow ‘continuously reinforcing’ its presence in the region, says Swedish chief of operations Capt Marko Petkovic
Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/06/swedish-navy-chief-russia-baltic-presence-ukraine-peace

DoJ moves to eliminate sexual abuse protections for LGBTQ+ people in prisons
Memo says the policy shift, which advocates call ‘reckless’, was designed to align with one of Trump’s anti-trans orders
Sam Levin in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/05/doj-prison-lgbtq-sexual-abuse-protections

US federal judge orders release of Epstein grand jury materials
Ruling compels unsealing of documents from 2006-2007 federal investigation into Epstein in Florida
Joseph Gedeon in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/05/federal-judge-epstein-grand-jury-materials

Trump releases racist blueprint for the world
by Oliver Willis
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/5/2357010/-Trump-releases-racist-blueprint-for-the-world?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_11&pm_medium=web

Frank Gehry obituary
Canadian–American architect who explored crumpling and fish curves in such buildings as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
Charles Jencks and Oliver Wainwright
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/dec/06/frank-gehry-obituary

From Bilbao to Las Vegas: Frank Gehry’s incredible architecture – in pictures
The award-winning designer and architect leaves behind unique buildings all across the world from Dundee to Düsseldorf. He died after a brief respiratory illness at the age of 96
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/dec/05/frank-gehry-architecture-in-pictures

Science journal retracts study on safety of Monsanto’s Roundup: ‘Serious ethical concerns’
Paper published in 2000 found glyphosate was not harmful, while internal emails later revealed company’s influence
Carey Gillam
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/05/monsanto-roundup-safety-study-retracted

‘I’ve had all the luck you can get’: Michael Caine retires for the fourth time
The 92-year-old actor made the announcement again as he received an award at the Red Sea international film festival in Saudi Arabia
Catherine Shoard
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/05/michael-caine-actor-retires-for-fourth-time

Opinion: How much does it cost to buy a Minnesota school board election?
What once may have been innocent administrative positions are now hotly contested culture-war battles — in Minnesota and around the country — that carry the fate of the public education system in their hands.
by Kyle Steinberg
https://sahanjournal.com/opinion/minnesota-school-board-election-right-wing-funding/

Alexander Skarsgård’s encounter with Miriam Margolyes
Alexander Skarsgård reveals to Graham Norton that he once almost rented a room in Miriam Margolyes’ condo in Santa Monica.
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0mkfwyw/alexander-skarsg-rd-s-encounter-with-miriam-margolyes

2025.12.03

Fabergé egg made for mother of Russia’s last tsar sells for £23m
Christie’s says the sale price is the highest for a Fabergé, beating a £8.9m auction in 2007
Serena Richards
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/dec/02/faberge-egg-mother-russia-

Man charged with theft over claims he swallowed $19k Fabergé egg
Kelly Ng
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7vm754r80vo

Minneapolis, St. Paul leaders condemn reports of immigration enforcement against Somali immigrants
An immigrant rights organization says they’ve received reports that four Somali residents and one Latino resident were arrested by federal agents Monday and Tuesday.
by Joey Peters and Katelyn Vue
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/ice-enforcement-somali-immigrants-minnesota-minneapolis-stpaul/

Federal authorities plan operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali immigrants, AP source says
Federal authorities are preparing an immigration enforcement operation targeting people in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area with final deportation orders.
By MIKE BALSAMO and STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2025/12/federal-authorities-plan-operation-in-minnesota-focusing-on-somali-immigrants-ap-source-says/

FDA drug chief signals possible exit as agency turmoil deepens
Richard Pazdur’s potential retirement weeks into the role adds to upheaval at the FDA amid political pressure
Melody Schreiber
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/dec/03/fda-drug-chief-signals-retires-pazdur

Trump ally admits goal of eliminating same-day registration in federal voting rights trial
Cleta Mitchell was compelled to testify in North Carolina over a recent law that hiked up requirements
George Chidi
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/03/same-day-registration-north-carolina

An eco obscenity: Norman Foster’s steroidal new skyscraper is an affront to the New York skyline
It contains enough steel to go round the world twice – and even has a fake breeze to flutter the stars-and-stripes flag in its lobby. If this colossus is just the first of a new breed of bulky supertalls, is Britain next?
Oliver Wainwright
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/dec/03/eco-obscenity-norman-foster-skyscraper-jp-morgan-new-york

‘BDSM on screen used to just mean a gimp in the basement’: the kink community’s verdict on Pillion
Pillion, which explores a relationship between leather dom Ray (Alexander Skarsgård) and submissive Colin (Harry Melling), has just opened in UK cinemas. But how realistic is its portrayal of a group little seen in mainstream cinema?
Barry Levitt
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/03/bdsm-on-screen-kink-community-pillion-alexander-skarsgard-harry-melling

We found the authentic Liguria: an off-season road trip through north-west Italy’s brilliant villages and cuisine
By avoiding the famous hotspots and travelling in December, we enjoy culinary delights and historic charms without the summer crowds
Alexis Steinman
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/03/liguria-italy-out-of-season-road-trip

Thailand relaxes afternoon alcohol ban to boost tourism
Joel Guinto
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mprzzxn73o

Five of the world’s safest countries for 2025
Lindsey Galloway
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250822-five-of-the-worlds-safest-countries-for-2025