Senate approves funding package to end longest US government shutdown 11. November 2025 (02:34) In 60-40 tally, coalition of Democrats break from their party and vote with Republicans, enraging many in their caucusUS politics live – latest updatesThe Senate on Monday approved a funding package that is expected to bring to a close the longest government shutdown in US history, after a coalition of Democrats broke from their party and voted with Republicans, in a move that has enraged many in their caucus.The vote passed in a 60-40 tally, with seven Democrats and one independent joining all Republicans to advance a compromise deal that would fund most federal agencies through January. The agreement, which next goes to the House for approval, does not directly address the expiring tax credits for healthcare premiums, the issue at the center of the 40-day stalemate between Democrats and Republicans, though the Senate majority leader John Thune has promised a Senate vote later this year on the subsidies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Success is shutting them down’: Met police in fight against illegal vape and phone shops 11. November 2025 (01:01) Products that fail fire safety checks, are counterfeit and breach laws protecting children targeted in raids in LondonA rainbow of vapes and Apple-branded products light up the window of a south London shop as a small army of police prepare to march through the door.Officers have been watching the shop for months and have already carried out tests in independent labs on products bought there. Most have come back with a high risk rate for possible electrocution and fires. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
China’s CO2 emissions have been flat or falling for past 18 months, analysis finds 11. November 2025 (01:01) World’s biggest polluter on track to hit peak emissions target early but miss goal for cutting carbon intensityChina’s carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months, analysis reveals, adding evidence to the hope that the world’s biggest polluter has managed to hit its target of peak CO2 emissions well ahead of schedule.Rapid increases in the deployment of solar and wind power generation – which grew by 46% and 11% respectively in the third quarter of this year – meant the country’s energy sector emissions remained flat, even as the demand for electricity increased. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
England’s children’s commissioner calls for closure of young offender institutions 11. November 2025 (01:01) Dame Rachel de Souza says hundreds of children are being locked up unnecessarily due to failing servicesCustody is being used as a “waiting room” for hundreds of children who are being unnecessarily locked up while awaiting trial or sentencing due to failing services, the children’s commissioner for England has warned.Dame Rachel de Souza said many children were being placed in custody not because they posed the greatest risk, but because the systems designed to support them were failing. She called for the closure of all young offender institutions (YOIs) in England. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK retail sales growth slows as shoppers await Black Friday and budget 11. November 2025 (01:01) Industry body says shoppers are waiting for discount day, as Barclays reports falling consumer confidenceRetailers suffered the slowest sales growth since May last month as shoppers were cautious in the run-up to expected budget tax rises and held out for Black Friday discounts.Sales rose 1.6% in October, a step down from 2.3% the month before, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) trade body and the advisory group KPMG. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
NHS staff who visit patients at home say St George’s flags can mean ‘no-go zones’ 11. November 2025 (01:01) Black and Asian staff left feeling ‘deliberately intimidated’, according to chief executive of one NHS trustNHS staff who care for patients in their own homes fear some areas have become “no-go zones” for them because of the presence of St George’s flags, health leaders have said.Black and Asian staff have been left feeling “deliberately intimidated” as a result of the flags that were put up in many parts of England during the summer, according to the chief executive of one NHS trust in England, who asked to remain anonymous. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Councillors in England face suspensions for misconduct as part of government overhaul 11. November 2025 (01:01) Local authorities to be given powers to suspend rule-breaking officials and to withhold allowancesMayors and councillors in England face suspensions of up to six months for serious misconduct and repeated rule breaches as the government seeks to overhaul standards in local government.Under plans unveiled on Tuesday, local authorities will be handed powers to suspend rule-breaking councillors and mayors, including those found guilty of bullying and assault, and to withhold their allowances. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Data centers meet resistance over environmental concerns as AI boom spreads in Latin America 11. November 2025 (00:58) An expert describes how communities in some of the world’s driest areas are demanding transparency as secretive governments court billions in foreign investmentThis Q&A originally appeared as part of The Guardian’s TechScape newsletter. Sign up for this weekly newsletter here.The data centers that power the artificial intelligence boom are beyond enormous. Their financials, their physical scale, and the amount of information contained within are so massive that the idea of stopping their construction can seem like opposing an avalanche in progress. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US declares partial suspension of sanctions on Syria after historic meeting 11. November 2025 (00:55) Ahmed al-Sharaa and Donald Trump hold first White House summit between a US and Syrian leader since 1946The US has announced a partial suspension of sanctions on Syria after a historic meeting in Washington DC between its new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Donald Trump.Monday’s meeting was the first summit between a US and Syrian leader at the White House since 1946. The meeting is part of a remarkable turnaround in US-Syrian relations after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, who had prosecuted a deadly civil war in the country from 2011 until his forces collapsed in December 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US has sent $7.5m to Equatorial Guinea to accept noncitizens deportees 11. November 2025 (00:18) Country is one of world’s most repressive and corrupt, raising concerns over rights abuses of those deportedThe United States has sent $7.5m to the government of Equatorial Guinea, one of the world’s most repressive and corrupt regimes, to accept noncitizen deportees from the US to the West African nation, according to a leading congressional Democrat, current and former state department officials and public government data.The money sent to Equatorial Guinea is the first taken from a fund apportioned by Congress to address international refugee crises – and sometimes to facilitate the resettlement of refugees in the US – that has instead been repurposed under the Trump administration to hasten their deportation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
