Famed Florentine diamond surfaces in Canada after century-long disappearance
The Florentine diamond, a 137-carat pear-shaped stone that glimmers with a “fine citron” hue, adorned European royalty for centuries. View image in fullscreen A glass replica of the Florentine diamond. Another theory is that the diamond was cut by a European – the famed Flemish jeweller Lodewyk van Bercken – into a pyramidal shape. Briefly, the Shah of Persia, a 99-carat stone recut from larger diamond, was believed to part of the missing Florentine. But the stone unearthed in Canada is most certainly “the genuine, historical ‘Florentine Diamond’”, said Christoph Köchert of AE Köchert, once Austria’s imperial court jewellers.
Source:The Guardian
November 06, 2025 23:23 UTC
Mountain bike world champion Kate Courtney: ‘In pushing your edge, you find you’re capable of more’
In early September, Kate Courtney lined up at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships for the 12th time in her career, but the first time targeting the marathon distance. He proposed she try the Leadville 100, America’s most prestigious long distance mountain bike race. I was putting a lot in but not getting as much out.”“My dad always says you’re remembered for your best days,” said Courtney, who fell in love with mountain biking by riding a tandem mountain bike with her dad as a kid. “The thing that kept me in the sport when I wasn’t performing well was paying it forward and trying to be a role model for young girls,” said Courtney. “My goal wasn’t about developing the next top level mountain bike racer, but more to use the sport to equip young girls for the real world.
Source:The Guardian
November 05, 2025 16:00 UTC
Shock as Orbán allies take ownership of Hungary’s most-read newspaper
Journalists at Hungary’s most-read newspaper have expressed shock after a media group seen as close to nationalist prime minister Viktor Orbán’s party, Fidesz, bought the tabloid from its previous Swiss owners. Over the past 15 years Orbán has been able to use a sprawling pro-government media landscape to boost his image and polls. He has criticised the Ringier Hungary deal, saying it represents another attempt by Orbán to cement his control over Hungary’s media outlets. Donald Trump and his allies have long praised Orbán’s Hungary even as it plunges in press freedom rankings. In 2022, Orbán told a conference of US conservatives, CPAC, that the path to power required “having their own media”.
Source:The Guardian
November 05, 2025 12:30 UTC
Brazil to seek independent inquiry into deadly police raid that killed 121 people
Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has said his government will seek an independent investigation into what he called a “disastrous” police “massacre” that left at least 121 people dead. The dead included a 14-year-old and a 19-year-old who was decapitated and had his head exhibited on a tree. Police say 19 of those killed during Tuesday’s operation were from Pará state of which Belém is capital. Lula said he wanted to see federal police forensic investigators involved in an inquiry into the killings. The massacre has overshadowed the start of Brazil’s climate summit and a visit Prince William is making to Rio ahead of those talks.
Source:The Guardian
November 04, 2025 21:58 UTC
‘The silence allows me to hear every flurry of falling snow’: walking in Switzerland’s hidden valley
In the muffled silence all I can hear is the crunch and squeak of snow underfoot. The national park is closed to visitors during the winter, but several Engadine walking trails are close to its borders, meaning anyone can – with luck – spot some of its rare wildlife. I need to get used to walking in crampons, with snow baskets on my walking poles, and prepare for the ascents and descents to come. In fact, most of the valley’s traditional Engadine houses are flamboyantly decorated – sundials, flowers, animals – using a “scratching” technique known as sgraffito. Its luminosity lifts the spirits, its silence allows me to hear every flurry of falling snow, every bird call.
Source:The Guardian
November 03, 2025 16:01 UTC
Five German climbers die in Italian Alps after being swept away by avalanche
Five German climbers, including a 17-year-old girl, have died after being swept away by an avalanche in the Italian Alps, rescuers have said. “The first group, consisting of three people, was completely buried,” Italy’s alpine rescue services said on social media. Two of the climbers were reportedly ahead of the others and managed to escape the cascade of snow and ice. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. after newsletter promotionNo other climbers were believed to be in the area, which is a popular tourist destination.
Source:The Guardian
November 02, 2025 23:08 UTC
Chess: Magnus Carlsen triumphs at historic Champions Showdown in St Louis
The four-player $412.000 Champions Showdown in St Louis was a historic event, a quadrangular tournament of the super-elite who met each other six times in three days. View image in fullscreen 3996: Gukesh Dommaraju v Fabiano Caruana, Champions Showdown, St Louis 2025. The time limit for the Champions Showdown was 10 minutes per player per game, plus a five seconds per move increment. After winning in St Louis, Carlsen flew back to Norway for a rare classical game for his Offerspill club in the Norwegian League. His opponent was IM Frode Elsness, rated 2418 and Carlsen won in 36 moves despite a few inaccuracies.
Source:The Guardian
November 01, 2025 14:37 UTC
Tackle wood burning and road traffic to improve Europe’s air quality, study finds
An international study, published in the journal Nature, has found cutting pollution from road traffic and wood burning may be the most effective way to reduce the harm from air pollution across Europe. Rather than just looking at the amount of particle pollution in the air, the research team looked at its toxicity, by measuring the way air pollution samples depleted the natural defences in our lungs. OP was also worst in winter, when wood burning added to the pollution mixture. Both had successes in reducing the amount of particle pollution in their air, but the toxicity of the particles did not improve. Looking to the future, controlling traffic exhaust may not be enough to reduce the toxicity of our air.
Source:The Guardian
October 31, 2025 22:30 UTC
Italian ski pass price rises mean sport may become only for wealthy, watchdog warns
“Completely unjustified” prices rises for ski passes in Italy this winter mean the sport is at risk of becoming the exclusive privilege of the wealthy, the president of an Italian consumers’ association has warned. A “Dolomiti Superski” pass, granting access to all 12 resorts in the pricey Dolomites, will set skiers back €86 (£75) a day this season. Meanwhile, the cost of seasonal ski passes will range from between €755 per adult in Roccaraso to as much as €1,800 in the Aosta valley. The cost of hiring ski equipment has also gone up, as have hotel and restaurant prices. Despite the price rises, Italy is still a cheaper place to ski in western Europe than Switzerland, France and Austria.
Source:The Guardian
October 28, 2025 14:37 UTC
First banker jailed over Libor interest rate rigging to sue UBS for $400m
Tom Hayes, the first banker jailed over Libor interest rate rigging, is suing his former employer UBS for $400m (£300m), claiming he was a “hand-picked scapegoat” for the Swiss bank as it tried to avoid regulatory scrutiny. Hayes is now seeking recompense for the suffering he says he faced as a result of his original ruling. He is suing UBS for “malicious prosecution”, and says UBS conducted a “fundamentally flawed” investigation in order to pin the blame on Hayes. Efforts to sue UBS come months after the UK supreme court overturned a decade-old ruling against Hayes in July. My legal team are now rightlyfully holding UBS to account for scapegoating me in order to save billions in fines and protect its senior executives.
Source:The Guardian
October 27, 2025 23:08 UTC
Underground mine explosion kills two people at Cobar in western NSW
Two people have been killed by an explosion at the Endeavour mine in western New South Wales, devastating the local community of Cobar. Officers were told that a man, believed to be in his 60s, had been confirmed dead after the underground explosion. The NSW resources regulator, which is responsible for compliance and enforcement across the state’s mining sector, confirmed it was investigating. “This is a heartbreaking day for the Cobar community and will be felt across the entire mining industry,” he said. A NSW Mine Workers’ Alliance spokesperson, Tony Callinan, called on the mine operator and regulator to undertake an open investigation.
Source:The Guardian
October 27, 2025 21:00 UTC
Peer trying to derail UK smoking ban discussed bill with relative at tobacco firm
A member of the House of Lords who is trying to derail the generational ban on tobacco sales discussed the legislation with a family member who is “very high up” at British American Tobacco (BAT). “We have indeed discussed the tobacco and vapes bill, which he considers unnecessary as market forces are doing what the bill intends,” Strathcarron said. after newsletter promotion“While we support the UK government’s smoke-free ambition, we believe the generational smoking ban would increase the illicit market and incentive criminals,” the spokesperson said. He said he worked “closely” with lobby groups including Action on World Health, the Free Speech Union and Big Brother Watch. Action on World Health campaigns against the World Health Organization (WHO) and is staffed by former nicotine industry consultants, a previous investigation by the Guardian found.
Source:The Guardian
October 26, 2025 15:31 UTC
‘If you use chocolate, you’re in crisis’: the surprise ingredients being used to beat costs
Green & Black’s Organic 85% dark chocolate barGreen & Black’s dark chocolate bar contains 85% cocoa solids, more than meeting UK regulations for dark chocolate, which require a minimum of 35%. Aldi Dairyfine dark chocolate barThe Aldi Dairyfine dark chocolate bar contains 55% cocoa solids and is sold in a 200g bar for £1.85. Photograph: AldiHotel Chocolat Milk Chocolate SlabThe Hotel Chocolat Milk Chocolate Slab contains 40% cocoa solids, weighs 100g and is priced at £5.45. Tony’s Chocolonely milk chocolate barThe 180g Tony’s Chocolonely milk chocolate bar contains 32% cocoa solids, above the UK legal minimum for milk chocolate (25% dry cocoa solids and 14% dry milk solids). McVitie’s chocolate biscuitsThe dark chocolate digestives contain 30% dark chocolate, which includes cocoa mass and cocoa butter.
Source:The Guardian
October 25, 2025 22:13 UTC
Proposed UK cuts to global aid fund could lead to 300,000 preventable deaths, say charities
The UK is expected to slash its contribution to a leading aid fund combating preventable diseases, with charities warning this could lead to more than 300,000 otherwise preventable deaths. However, aid groups say a proposed reduction in UK funding from £1bn to £800m is being widely discussed by senior government officials. The Switzerland-based Global Fund is credited with helping to save tens of million of lives in combating the three diseases. One aid agency estimated a £200m cut could lead to up to 340,000 avoidable deaths and nearly 5.9 million avoidable infections over the three-year funding period. It would risk undoing much of the progress we have made in the global fight against disease.”A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK has not yet decided what its pledge to the Global Fund will be.
Source:The Guardian
October 16, 2025 14:46 UTC
What is the new EU border system EES, and how will it work?
Many travellers to Europe will see changes in border security from Sunday with the launch of the EU’s new digital entry and exit system (EES) after many delays. The system means most non-EU citizens will have to register their biometric information at the border. Travellers’ faces will have to be photographed and fingerprints scanned before they are allowed into Europe’s Schengen area. The system is being introduced to make border crossing faster and more efficient, while also tracking who is coming in and out. The EES applies to the Schengen area, which comprises 25 of the 27 EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Source:The Guardian
October 12, 2025 14:31 UTC