Category Archives: Travel

2025.11.22

‘The French people want to save us’: help pours in for glassmaker Duralex
The brand, which evokes nostalgia and pride, hit its €5m fundraising target within hours and orders have soared
By Kim Willsher in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/22/french-people-want-to-save-us-help-pours-glassmaker-duralex

We know ultra-processed foods are bad for you – but can you spot them? Take our quiz
Test your knowledge in eight questions to prove you know your onions from your emulsifiers
Natasha May
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/21/ultra-processed-foods-quiz

Review
Children and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
The return of Charlie and Lola; the second lives of trees; the dangers of time travel; a YA Bluebeard retelling and more
Imogen Russell Williams
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/21/children-and-teens-roundup-the-best-new-picture-books-and-novels

At least 41 dead as relentless rains flood Vietnam
Kelly Ng
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceq0q3e2j17o

2025.11.20

There’s finally hope for new life at the former home of St. Paul’s Hamm’s Brewery
If all goes as planned, local developer JB Vang could break ground on a residential project at the Hamm’s site next year.
by Bill Lindeke
https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2025/11/theres-finally-hope-for-new-life-at-the-former-home-of-st-pauls-hamms-brewery/

From the mundane to the out-there, wonks on Minneapolis’ tax board have ideas for reining in your property taxes
Setting property tax rates is only one part of the job – and not the most fun part.
by Brian Martucci
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2025/11/from-the-mundane-to-the-out-there-wonks-on-minneapolis-tax-board-have-ideas-for-reining-in-your-property-taxes/

Hospitals and clinics are shutting down due to Trump’s healthcare cuts. Here’s where
From Georgia to Oregon, clinics and wards are closing as Trump’s health law triggers steep Medicaid cuts and rising costs
Carter Sherman
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/20/hospitals-shutdown-trump-healthcare-cuts

‘The English person with a Chinese stomach’: how Fuchsia Dunlop became a Sichuan food hero
The author has been explaining Sichuan cuisine to westerners for decades. But ‘Fu Xia’, as she’s known, has had a profound effect on food lovers in China, too
By Leslie T Chang
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/nov/20/how-fuchsia-dunlop-became-a-sichuan-food-hero

Telling a reporter ‘quiet, piggy’ was shocking – even for Trump
Margaret Sullivan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/20/trump-quiet-piggy-reporter

Digitised official records of Nuremberg trials made available online
Launch on 80th anniversary of groundbreaking legal effort comes after 25-year project by Harvard law school library
Kate Connolly in Berlin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/20/digitised-official-records-of-nuremberg-trials-made-available-online

Nasa releases close-up pictures of comet flying by from another star system
The interstellar visitor, known as 3I/Atlas, will be seen just in this instance, never to come back again
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/19/nasa-interstellar-comet-pictures

Review
Turner: The Secret Sketchbooks review – the sheer number of pornographic drawings is a big shock
JMW Turner left behind some 37,000 sketches when he died, many of which have rarely been seen. Do they – including a huge collection of explicit sketches – reveal truths about the elusive man?
Jack Seale
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/19/turner-the-secret-sketchbooks-review-bbc-two-iplayer

‘I never wanted to sing into a vacuum’: Scottish folk pioneer Dick Gaughan’s fight for his lost music
A skilled interpreter and social justice champion, Gaughan is a hero to the likes of Richard Hawley and Billy Bragg. Yet much of his work has been stuck in limbo for decades – until a determined fan stepped in
Jude Rogers
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/nov/19/i-never-wanted-to-sing-into-a-vacuum-scottish-folk-pioneer-dick-gaughans-fight-for-his-lost-music

‘We love a plastic chopstick to stir’: 10 cocktail-making tips from Australian bartender Michael Madrusan
You don’t need fancy equipment to make a martini, the founder of Melbourne’s The Everleigh says – but you do need to measure precisely
Michael Madrusan
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/nov/19/cocktail-making-tips-australian-bartender-michael-madrusan-everleigh

Bronze Age to Elphaba: The centuries-old origins of the witch’s hat
Scarlett Harris
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20251119-the-5000-year-old-origins-of-the-witchs-hat

The words you can’t say on the internet
Thomas Germain
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251118-the-words-you-cant-say-on-the-internet

Pluribus: Carol Sturka is the flawed lesbian hero America needs
Opinion: The creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul is back with a lesbian-led new show that just might save (or destroy!) the world.
By Mey Rude
https://www.out.com/voices/pluribus-lesbian-hero-carol

2025.11.19

A large crowd of observers and protesters gathered at the scene of a federal law enforcement operation in St. Paul Tuesday. MPR News reports “federal agents wearing clothing marked ‘FBI,’ ‘DEA’ and ‘HSI’ — Homeland Security Investigations, part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — were seen at Bro-Tex Inc. … It was not immediately clear what prompted the operation.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/11/18/st-paul-federal-law-enforcement-operation-draws-protests

A Dakota-led nonprofit has unveiled its vision for the restoration of St. Anthony Falls. Bring Me The News says “nonprofit Owámniyomni Okhódayapi shared design plans on Monday for the area around the Upper Lock of the Mississippi River. … Native plants will be reintroduced … with seeds and soils sourced from Dakota tribal lands in Minnesota.” Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/dakota-led-nonprofit-unveils-design-plans-for-st-anthony-falls-restoration

Nearly all immigrants detained in Trump Chicago raid had no criminal conviction
Data sharply contradicts officials’ portrayal of immigration sweeps as effort to fight ‘worst of the worst’ criminals
Roque Planas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/19/trump-chicago-immigration-raid

Trump officials wrongly deport trans woman in violation of court order
Officials admit ‘inadvertent removal’ after court ruled Britania Uriostegui Rios should not be sent to Mexico
Lucy Campbell
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/18/trump-mexico-deportation

Man pours liquid on woman and sets her on fire on Chicago subway
Victim was hospitalized in critical condition and suspect taken into custody following incident on city’s train system
Maya Yang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/18/man-sets-woman-on-fire-chicago-subway

Trump faces criticism for referring to female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’
Critics accuse the US president of trying to ‘shut women journalists up’ with ‘demeaning language’
Jeremy Barr in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/18/trump-calls-reporter-piggy-bloomberg

Neanderthals and early humans ‘likely to have kissed’, say scientists
Study from University of Oxford looks into evolutionary origins of kissing and its role in relations between species
Nicola Davis Science correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/19/neanderthals-early-humans-kissed-research-evolution

British woman among four tourists killed in blizzard at nature reserve in Chile
Four people also rescued alive at popular Torres del Paine reserve in Patagonia amid heavy snowfall and strong winds
Matty Edwards
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/18/british-woman-among-four-tourists-killed-in-blizzard-at-nature-reserve-in-chile

The Kessler Twins sisters Alice and Ellen die together aged 89
German pop duo who last year said their wish was ‘to leave together’ had joint assisted death at their home in Grünwald
Angela Giuffrida in Rome
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/18/the-kessler-twins-sisters-alice-and-ellen-die-together-aged-89

Stranded whale euthanized after failed rescue attempt off Oregon coast
Young humpback whale was found washed ashore and individuals had rallied together to try to help
Shruti Rajkumar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/18/stranded-humpback-whale-euthanized-oregon

2025.11.14

Epic movie: Christopher Nolan uses 2m ft of film for adaptation of The Odyssey
The director has revealed suitably grand scale of his forthcoming Homeric adventure, which was shot with Imax cameras and stars Matt Damon as Odysseus
Andrew Pulver
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/14/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-2-million-ft-imax-matt-damon

Tesla recalls 10,500 Powerwall 2 battery systems in US over fire risk
Firm had received 22 reports of overheating, raising risk of serious injury or death, though none have been reported
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/13/tesla-powerwall-2-battery-recall

Interview
‘I’m not just putting on nice plays’: Hollywood star Alan Cumming’s plan to reignite theatre in the Scottish Highlands
Libby Brooks
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/nov/14/hollywood-star-alan-cummings-theatre-scottish-highlands-pitlochry-interview

Review
Future Boy by Michael J Fox review – secrets from the set of a definitive 80s movie
The actor’s account of his big Hollywood break – and how it almost never happened
Ellen E Jones
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/14/future-boy-by-michael-j-fox-review-secrets-from-the-set-of-a-definitive-80s-movie

Almshouse in Dorset discovers its 15th-century Flemish triptych is worth £3.5m
Artwork that hung for centuries at St John’s Almshouse in Sherborne will be sold to raise funds for social housing
Jamie Grierson
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/14/almshouse-in-dorset-to-auction-15th-century-flemish-triptych-sothebys

Rare bronze and iron age log boats reveal details of Cambridgeshire prehistory
Well-preserved oak and maple boats used for transport and fishing to be displayed in Peterborough
Harriet Sherwood
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/14/rare-iron-bronze-age-log-boat-cambridgeshire-archaeology-history

So last night, the crew installing solar panels left the back garage door unlocked. It was, of course, gone through and their chargers vanished. Bad crew! Bad! Bad! Bad!

2025.11.12

Minnesota’s hemp-produced THC beverage and edible industry reels from provision to outlaw products in shutdown bill
The marijuana and alcohol industries successfully lobbied Congress to shut down a hemp-based competitor they say is unregulated and dangerous.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2025/11/minnesotas-hemp-produced-thc-beverage-and-edible-industry-reels-from-provision-to-outlaw-products-in-shutdown-bill/

I thought there was something wrong with my body – until I shared a shower with 50 strangers
Naked in a forest, among people of every age, race, gender and physique, I finally shook off the self-doubt that had haunted me since my teens
Stephanie Peirolo
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/12/thought-something-wrong-with-body-then-shared-shower-with-50-strangers

Yes, New York will soon be under new management. But Zohran Mamdani is just the start
Carys Afoko
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/12/yes-new-york-will-soon-be-under-new-management-but-zohran-mamdani-is-just-the-start

Covid vaccines may increase the lifespan of cancer patients – this could be a game changer
Devi Sridhar
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/12/covid-mrna-vaccines-cancer-patients-prolong-life

New bridge in south-west China collapses into mountainside
No casualties reported after section of 758-metre structure helping to link Sichuan province to Tibet falls to pieces
Amy Hawkins
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/12/new-hongqi-bridge-in-south-west-china-collapses-into-mountainside

Kansas county to pay more than $3m over police raiding local newspaper
Marion county agrees to apologize over 2023 raid that led to national outcry over press freedom, said newspaper’s editor
Lucy Campbell and agency
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/11/kansas-marion-newspaper-police-raid-payment

Review
The Running Man review – Glen Powell sprints through fun update of Stephen King future-shock sci-fi satire
Full-tilt chase sequences, a punk aesthetic and a sugar-rush soundtrack, means there is plenty of enjoyment to be had as Edgar Wright goes back to King’s original 1982 novel
Peter Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/11/the-running-man-review-glen-powell-edgar-wright-stephen-king-future-shock-sci-fi-satire

The five best juicers in the US with the least mess, noise and cleanup
With machines from $150 to $770, I used 30lbs of fresh produce to determine the juicers most worth the squeeze
Elizabeth Brownfield
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/nov/11/best-juicers-to-buy

The nut secret: 14 easy, delicious ways to eat more of these life-changing superfoods
A handful of nuts a day can help manage obesity and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some kinds of cancer. Yet most of us don’t get enough. Here’s a no-fuss guide to getting your 30g a day
Rachel Dixon
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/nov/09/nuts-superfood-health-benefits-easy-delicious-ways-to-eat-more

2025.11.11

Minnesota is among the states impacted by an infant botulism outbreak linked to baby formula, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Bring Me the News reports that illness has been reported in one infant in the Minnesota, and 13 across the U.S. The outbreak has been linked to ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula. Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/minnesota-impacted-by-multi-state-outbreak-of-infant-botulism-linked-to-formula

Where’s the restroom? Minneapolis needs more answers
Businesses can’t take on the entire burden. The city must invest in a network of free, accessible and well-maintained public restrooms.
by Lee Eubanks
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2025/11/wheres-the-restroom-minneapolis-needs-more-answers/

From the Andes to the Amazon: a six-week riverboat adventure to Belém, Brazil’s gateway to the river
Visiting the city hosting the Cop30 conference brings with it questions about farming, tourism and sustainability
Kevin Rushby
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/11/andes-to-the-amazon-riverboat-adventure-to-belem-brazil-cop30

Peanut allergies have plummeted among kids since 2017 – what happened?
Blockbuster research has upended assumptions about the allergy. Experts shared what parents should know about introducing food allergens
Madeleine Aggeler
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/nov/11/peanut-allergies-declining-children-explained

Trump scolds air traffic controllers and blames rivals for economy in interview
President put forth his vision of ‘Trump Care’ for health and insisted ‘we have the greatest economy we ever had’
Gabrielle Canon
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/donald-trump-interview-laura-ingraham-economy

Fasching starts in Germany
Veteran’s Day (US)
Armistice Day

2025.11.10

Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald 50 years later
Plus: Podcast explores Fitzgerald’s legacy; how to watch commemoration ceremony; and more.
by Holly Marie Moore
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2025/11/remembering-the-edmund-fitzgerald-50-years-later/

Dems cave
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/trump-administration-news-updates-today

US supreme court rejects call to overturn decision legalizing same-sex marriage
Justices turn away appeal from former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/scotus-rejects-same-sex-marriage-challenge

Trump pardons Giuliani, Meadows and others over plot to steal 2020 election
Federal clemency towards president’s close allies largely symbolic as some still face legal exposure at state level
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/trump-pardons-giuliani-meadows-2020-election

How could Zohran Mamdani pay for his bold agenda for New York? We broke it down
A look at the realities the mayor-elect will face to pay for his progressive policies – and whose support he needs
Tom Perkins
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/11/zohran-mamdani-new-york-policies-cost-explainer

‘Most of it was the conga preset on Prince’s drum machine’: how Fine Young Cannibals made She Drives Me Crazy
‘Prince’s Purple Rain guitar was in the corner of the studio and his lava lamps were everywhere. You couldn’t help but be inspired’
Dave Simpson
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/nov/10/how-fine-young-cannibals-made-she-drives-me-crazy-prince

Why do people love spicy food – even when it hurts to eat it?
Tearing up, sweating and other bodily functions are all signs that the body is trying to expel spicy foods as quickly as possible. But there is a simple reason why some people enjoy those sensations
Joel Snape
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/10/why-do-people-love-spicy-food-even-when-it-hurts-to-eat-it

Coffee may protect people against irregular heartbeats, US study finds
Trial’s findings go against common beliefs that people with atrial fibrillation should avoid caffeinated coffee
Ramon Antonio Vargas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/coffee-irregular-heartbeat-protection-study

‘I enter a room and people say: “God just walked in”’: Morgan Freeman on voicing the divine, meeting Mandela – and his six decades on screen
‘I’m like any other actor’ … Morgan Freeman.
The 88-year-old actor has appeared in more than 100 films, playing everyone from presidents to prisoners. Here, he reflects on AI’s ‘robbing’ of his voice, not believing in Black History Month – and why he’s nowhere near retirement
David Smith
https://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2025/nov/10/morgan-freeman-interview-nelson-mandela-six-decades-on-screen

My search for the perfect steak frites in Paris, the staple of French brasserie cuisine
It’s on every prix fixe menu in France, but which restaurant serves up the best incarnation in the capital? I stomped and chomped my way across the city to find out
Ben Aitken
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/10/perfect-steak-frites-paris-french-brasserie

Eight winter clothing essentials Scandinavians swear by – from heated socks to ‘allværsjakke’
Brace for the cold with these clever accessories made and tested by people who know long, dark winters
Jonna Dagliden Hunt
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/nov/09/winter-clothing-essentials-cold-weather-protection-scandinavian

2025.11.08

BBC ‘100% fake news’, says Donald Trump’s press secretary
Comments by Karoline Leavitt follow allegations that Panorama documentary misled viewers with its editing of a Trump speech
Geraldine McKelvie
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov/08/bbc-100-fake-news-says-donald-trumps-press-secretary

Trespasses: ​Gillian Anderson steals every scene in this miraculous TV heartbreaker
Lola Petticrew and Tom Cullen’s chemistry in this tale of secret passion during the Troubles will floor you. But it is Anderson as a sour, ragey alcoholic who truly mesmerises
Rhik Samadder
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/08/trespasses-gillian-anderson-steals-every-scene-in-this-miraculous-tv-heartbreaker

‘There is bounty almost everywhere’: why you’ll always find me in the flea market on my travels
Forget sightseeing, secondhand shopping is now a major draw for tourists. A seasoned bargain-hunter shares her tips on picking up the best vintage finds when travelling abroad
Sarah Rodrigues
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/08/flea-market-vintage-thrift-souvenir-shopping

2025.11.07

“Books written or translated into Hmong are relatively rare,” MPR News writes, but one initiative is helping writers self-publish books in the language. “This weekend, Untamed Roots Collective is launching self-published books in Hmong from more than a dozen authors.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2025/11/06/new-twin-citiesbased-initiative-helps-authors-selfpublish-books-in-hmong

Review
Pluribus review – the audacity of the Breaking Bad creator’s new TV show is incredible
It takes some chutzpah to make television like this. Better Call Saul star Rhea Seehorn is the only US citizen immune from an alien virus that makes everyone in the world supremely happy – and it’s a bleak, blackly comic watch
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/07/pluribus-review-breaking-bad-creators-tv-show-apple-tv

Interview
‘I was the only out queer guy in rock’: Faith No More’s Roddy Bottum
Stevie Chick
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/nov/07/faith-no-more-roddy-bottum-queer-memoir-interview

‘If there’s a free alternative, I’ll eat healthily’: how Sweden devised brilliant school meals
A pilot scheme where students eat nutritious breakfasts using donated surplus food builds on the ‘folkhem’ welfare model to boost health and sustainability
By Jonna Dagliden Hunt
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/07/if-theres-a-free-alternative-ill-eat-healthily-how-sweden-devised-brilliant-school-meals

Beans, beans, the magical fruit: how healthy are they really?
Research shows beans are good for the body and for the planet. Here’s what to know about getting more in your diet
Adrienne Matei
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/nov/06/beans-healthy-food

‘Fabulous 50s dresses and even a kilt’: readers’ favourite vintage shops and markets in Europe
Our tipsters rummage through thrift stores and markets from Budapest to Bologna
Guardian readers
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/07/readers-favourite-vintage-shops-flea-markets-europe

2025.07.14

Scientists detect biggest ever merger of two massive black holes
Ripples in space-time from collision recorded by gravitational wave detector forces a rethink of how the objects form
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jul/14/scientists-detect-biggest-ever-merger-of-two-massive-black-holes

Call for British Museum to take Bayeux tapestry to ‘1066 country’
MP calls for region where Battle of Hastings took place to be included in events surrounding return of artwork
Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/14/call-for-british-museum-to-take-bayeux-tapestry-to-1066-country

Futra Days review – esoteric sci-fi romance offers lovers time-jump ‘happiness heists’ to save relationships
A man gets catapulted into the future to help him understand the future of his crush, but the sloppy chronology and gratuitous stylistic touches leave this film a little too infatuated with itself
Phil Hoad
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jul/14/futra-days-review-esoteric-time-travel-romance-loses-its-thread

Wildfires destroy historic lodge on Grand Canyon’s North Rim, park says
Grand Canyon Lodge consumed by two wildfires that have burned more than 45,000 acres in area
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/13/wildfires-destroy-grand-canyon-lodge-north-rim

Dig begins at site in Ireland believed to hold remains of nearly 800 infants
Archaeologists, anthropologists and forensic experts aim to identify infants buried at former mother and baby home in Tuam
Rory Carroll Ireland correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/14/ireland-excavation-tuam-mother-and-baby-home

‘Humanitarian city’ would be concentration camp for Palestinians, says former Israeli PM
Ehud Olmert says forcing people into camp would be ethnic cleansing, and anger at Israel over Gaza war is not all down to antisemitism
Emma Graham-Harrison in Tel Aviv
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/13/israel-humanitarian-city-rafah-gaza-camp-ehud-olmert