Australia news live: Optus fined $800k over phone scam; NSW targets ‘dehumanising’ work systems such as Amazon’s 18. November 2025 (20:50) The telco pays up after scammers exploited ID check weakness at subsidiary Coles Mobile. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFollows on from previous postThe proposed reforms to work health and safety laws clarifies the responsibility around the use of these systems and will allow union representatives to gain access to the algorithms behind the systems so they can fully understand how they are impacting workers – and take action to enforce labour standards, if required.As digital systems become more common in workplaces, the Minns Labor government is making sure that these systems help businesses without undermining the health and safety of workers. This is about protecting workers’ mental health, preventing harm before it occurs, and giving everyone confidence that workplace technology is used responsibly. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Judge rejects ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in Texas that gave Republicans extra districts 18. November 2025 (20:31) Federal judge instructed state to use older maps, with Republicans likely to appeal decisionUS politics live – latest updatesNew maps that added five Republican districts in Texas hit a legal roadblock on Tuesday, with a federal judge saying the state cannot use the 2025 maps because they are likely “racially gerrymandered”.The decision is likely to be appealed, given the push for more Republican-friendly congressional maps nationwide and Donald Trump’s full-court press on his party to make them. Some states have followed suit, and some Democratic states have retaliated, pushing to add more blue seats to counteract Republicans. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US must face ‘same consequences’ as former prince Andrew over Epstein, congressman says 18. November 2025 (20:26) Thomas Massie urges accountability as House moves to release Epstein files amid renewed calls for Mountbatten-Windsor to testifyThe “same kind of consequences” faced by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein must be inflicted on “perpetrators of heinous crimes” linked to the disgraced financier in the United States, a congressman has said.Thomas Massie, a Republican representative, also pointed to the sacking of Peter Mandelson, the UK’s ambassador to Washington, as an example of the fallout faced by those with ties to the late pedophile. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ukrainians working for Russia were behind rail blasts, alleges Polish PM 18. November 2025 (20:21) Donald Tusk says two saboteurs crossed border from Belarus hoping to cause divisive ‘catastrophe’Polish authorities have identified two Ukrainian men, allegedly working for the Russian intelligence services, as the key suspects in two cases of rail sabotage, the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, has said.The men are alleged to have planted a military-grade explosive device and attached a steel clamp to rail tracks in two incidents on a strategic rail route used for aid deliveries for Ukraine. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Websites down after outage at network firm Cloudflare 18. November 2025 (19:57) The DownDetector monitoring site, which was itself hit by the outage, showed a flurry of reported issues after 11am on Tuesday.(London News)
