‘Part of the joy economy’: adult buyers add to bumper year for toy sales 12. November 2025 (01:01) Some of this year’s Christmas must-haves are also expected to appeal to UK’s growing number of ‘kidults’There could be tug of war under the Christmas tree this year owing to the growing trend of adult toy collectors, a rundown of the season’s must-haves suggests.Singing Wicked 2 dolls, manga-themed Lego, a Pokémon game and a mini-fridge playset are among the items on the annual DreamToys selection that experts say are as likely to feature on the wishlists of adults as children. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
One-third of museums lost government funding since Trump took office, survey says 12. November 2025 (00:58) Report including responses from more than 500 museum directors finds median loss of $30,000 in grants or contractsOne-third of US museums have lost government grants or contracts since Donald Trump took office, according to a new survey.The findings, released by the American Alliance of Museums on Tuesday and based on responses from more than 500 museum directors across the US, shed new light on the challenges cultural institutions are facing under the Trump administration. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California governor calls Trump ‘an invasive species’ at Cop30 climate talks 12. November 2025 (00:56) Gavin Newsom is most senior US politician at annual talks, heading alternate delegation in Trump’s absenceCalifornia governor Gavin Newsom has said Donald Trump is an “invasive species” whose dismissal of the climate crisis is an “abomination”, in a fiery attack at the UN climate talks in Brazil – from which Trump and his administration have been completely absent.Newsom is the most senior American politician at the Cop30 summit in Belém, after Trump took the unprecedented step of not sending a delegation to the talks. Newsom sought to fill the notable void of official US activity by lambasting the president for tearing up climate policies and pushing for burning more of the fossil fuels that have caused dangerous global heating. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Woman eludes police after high-speed chase from California into Mexico 12. November 2025 (00:05) Alyssa Wilson, a resident at a sober living home, stole a minivan and was chased for hours until crossing the borderA woman who had been staying at a women’s sobriety home in California stole a minivan and was chased by police for hours until she crossed over to Mexico on Monday.A second woman, Nicolle Walters, 45, reported to authorities that her 2004 gray Toyota Sienna was missing, along with her car key, according to a statement by the Ventura county sheriff’s office. Walters, owner and operator of two women’s sober living homes, identified the suspect as Alyssa Wilson, one of the residents at Diana’s House Sober Living in Thousand Oaks, which is about an hour’s drive north-west of Los Angeles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pushback over proposal to lower speed limits on Australia’s country roads to between 70 and 90km/h 12. November 2025 (00:00) Federal infrastructure department analysis recommends reducing default speed limits on regional roads from 100km/hFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA proposal to reduce default speed limits on regional roads from 100km/h to between 70 and 90km/h is facing backlash, with some Labor MPs joining Nationals in criticising the policy.The federal infrastructure department has undertaken consultation on a “regulatory impact analysis”, released in September, as part of the National Road Safety Action Plan. That analysis was open to public submissions, which closed on 10 November. It is up to individual states and territories to implement their own road rules. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kansas county to pay more than $3m over police raiding local newspaper 11. November 2025 (23:34) Marion county agrees to apologize over 2023 raid that led to national outcry over press freedom, said newspaper’s editorA rural county in Kansas has agreed to pay more than $3m and apologize over a raid by police on a small-town weekly newspaper in August 2023 that sparked a national outcry over press freedom, the paper’s editor said on Tuesday.Eric Meyer, the editor and publisher of the Marion County Record, told the Associated Press he is hoping the size of the payment is large enough to discourage similar actions against news organizations in the future. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reeves rejects plea for £1bn of extra cash to cover NHS redundancy payouts 11. November 2025 (23:30) Health secretary Wes Streeting lobbied behind the scenes for emergency funds to pay off 18,000 staff losing their jobsRachel Reeves has rebuffed a plea from Wes Streeting for an emergency injection of £1bn into the NHS’s budget to cover the cost of mass redundancies.The chancellor’s decision is a setback for the health secretary, who had been lobbying behind the scenes in Whitehall for extra money to pay off 18,000 personnel who are losing their jobs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former NFL star Antonio Brown pleads not guilty to attempted murder charge 11. November 2025 (23:27) Ex-NFL star accused of firing shots after fightVictim says bullet grazed his neck, per warrantFormer NFL star Antonio Brown is returning to Miami to face an attempted murder charge stemming from a May shooting, with his lawyer filing a not guilty plea on his behalf.Jail records in Essex county, New Jersey, show Brown was released on Tuesday morning for his transfer to Florida. Brown, one of the most popular players in the NFL, had waived extradition to Florida from New Jersey, where he was taken after being arrested in Dubai. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Asio accuses Chinese hackers of seeking access to Australia’s criticial infrastructure 11. November 2025 (23:21) Mike Burgess points to successful infiltration in the US by units known as Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon ‘working for the Chinese government’Australia’s intelligence agency has accused “Chinese hackers” of seeking to gain access to critical infrastructure assets, including telecommunications networks.In a speech to a business forum in Melbourne, the director-general of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation, Mike Burgess, said the nation now faced a threat of “high-impact sabotage”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Children could face life sentences for serious offences under Victorian government ‘adult time’ plan 11. November 2025 (22:43) Youth offenders, aged as young as 14, could face 20-year jail terms for violent crimes under proposalFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChildren as young as 14 who commit “serious crimes” will be sentenced as adults under a Victorian government plan to combat youth crime.The state government said on Wednesday that it will adopt an “adult time for violent crime” laws similar to those in Queensland, which implemented the tough approach in 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
