Fabergé Winter Egg Sells for $30 Million, an Auction Record
Fabergé is believed to have produced 50 of the ornate eggs for Russia’s czars. The Winter Egg, sold on Tuesday, is considered one of the jewelry house’s greatest creations.
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Europe Wants to Get the Word Out: Russia Is to Blame for Sabotage
Officials are accusing Russia of smaller-scale assaults. President Vladimir V. Putin sought to turn the tables, saying that if Europe were to start a war, Russia is ready.
Farage says deal with Tories ‘as they are’ would cost Reform UK votes, as he denies election pact – UK politics live
Reform UK leader says report of an election deal with Conservatives is ‘false’, but suggests only under their current leadershipThe public inquiry into the Covid pandemic has cost the government more than £100m to respond to so far, PA Media reports. PA says:Transparency data from the Cabinet Office shows the overall cost for responding to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, including for legal advice and dedicated staff working on preparing evidence.The cost is on top of the £192m cost of the inquiry itself so far. The inquiry is expected to become the most expensive in British history.With the BMA, certainly.I mean, whether it’s the rhetoric and the behaviour of the BMA around general practice, whether it is yet another round of unnecessary strike action being proposed by resident doctors who’ve had a 28.9% pay rise, we’ve seen an outbreak in the British Medical Association of juvenile delinquency, and it is irresponsible, because we know that the NHS is under real pressure … Continue reading...
Inside the Ultra-Orthodox Fight Against Israel’s Draft
For the first time in decades, ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel are being called to serve in the country’s military. The community is furious, with protesters and military-age men openly defying the draft.
Visiting Turkey and Lebanon, Pope Leo Echoed Francis’s Message, Not His Style
Traveling through the Mideast, Leo XIV channeled many of his predecessor’s messages. Leo’s deliberate manner differed from Francis.
’Pretty obvious’ Putin does not want peace in Ukraine, Nato foreign ministers warn - Europe live
Comments come after Putin rejected peace deal after US talks and warned that Russia is ‘ready’ for war with Europe Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged to “work constructively in pursuit of a real peace,” as he continues Ukraine’s diplomatic offensive today, with his security advisor, Rustem Umerov, meeting with the European national security advisors in Brussels.In a post on X, he said that Umerov will be joined by the chief of the general staff Andrii Hnatov, with the meetings aimed at ensuring “ongoing coordination with partners.” Continue reading...
Leaked memo reveals US veterans affairs officials vetting non-citizen workers
Exclusive: Compilation of data to be shared with ‘appropriate agencies’ prompts fears of immigration crackdownThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is in the process of creating an urgent and massive new internal database of non-US citizens who are “employed or affiliated” with the government department, a sensitive memo leaked to the Guardian has revealed – prompting alarm within the sprawling agency over a potential immigration crackdown.A VA spokesperson confirmed to the Guardian that the department would share some of the data it is now gathering with other federal agencies, including for immigration enforcement purposes. Continue reading...
Canada Turns to the World’s Polar Bear Capital to Defend its Arctic
The tiny town of Churchill has two of Canada’s largest pieces of Arctic infrastructure, but years of neglect have left them in poor shape amid growing superpower rivalry in the region.
Environmentally Friendly Coffee
Here’s what to know about your daily brew and the environment.
Thames Water half-year profit leaps to more than £400m after it raises bills by third
Debt-ridden utility warns of ‘material uncertainty’ with potential for a rapid collapse despite profit riseThames Water has reported a leap in half-year profits to £414m after bills rose by nearly a third, even as it warned it faced huge funding uncertainties that could result in a rapid collapse into government control.Britain’s biggest water company on Wednesday said it had swung into profit for the six months to September, after losing £149m in the same period in 2024. Continue reading...