Mining giant BHP drops latest bid to buy rival Anglo American 24. November 2025 (09:59) FTSE 100-listed miner forces Australian company to walk away from takeover after rebuffing second approachBusiness live – latest updatesBHP has walked away from another attempt to take over rival miner Anglo American after it was again rebuffed, failing in a last-minute effort to disrupt the planned merger with Canadian mining business Teck Resources.The Australian mining company reportedly became interested in making another offer for FTSE 100-listed Anglo last week, more than a year after abandoning a £39bn attempt to buy the business. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Brisbane battered by ‘giant hail’ as severe thunderstorms leave thousands in Queensland with power outages 24. November 2025 (08:42) Bureau of Meteorology warns ‘damaging to destructive winds’ possible as storms track across stateTens of thousands of people are without power after severe thunderstorms brought destructive winds, giant hail and heavy rain to south-east Queensland.The Bureau of Meteorology said there were reports of hail between 6cm and 8cm falling at Tamrookum, Coombabah, and Mount Tamborine. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pauline Hanson faces widespread condemnation after repeating ‘disgraceful’ burqa stunt in Senate 24. November 2025 (08:06) Nationals senator Matt Canavan says One Nation leader ‘debased’ parliament while independent Fatima Payman says she is ‘disrespecting Muslim Australians’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson has again worn a burqa into the Senate, repeating a previous widely condemned stunt as she sought to ban the Muslim face covering on national security grounds - despite being unable to name a single safety incident linked to the burqa.Hanson, the One Nation party leader, was ejected from the Senate on Monday, forcing the the suspension of the chamber as she refused to take off the burqa, in violation of a parliamentary ruling. She was condemned by all parties in the Senate for repeating the offensive display, with Nationals senator Matt Canavan saying Hanson’s stunt “debased” the parliament and was “ridiculing” Muslim Australians. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Farage urged to explain conspiracy theories linked to antisemitism he voiced in US media 24. November 2025 (08:00) Exclusive: The Reform UK leader discussed far-right talking points in web TV and radio appearances between 2009 and 2018Nigel Farage is facing calls to explain why he repeatedly aired tropes and conspiracy theories associated with antisemitism during interviews, after claims the Reform UK leader used racist language in his teens.In appearances on US TV shows and podcasts earlier in his political career, Farage discussed supposed plots by bankers to create a global government, citing Goldman Sachs, the Bilderberg group and the financier George Soros as threats to democracy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Politicians urge Labour to restore Electoral Commission independence 24. November 2025 (08:00) All-party group say move is needed to stop UK lagging behind global standards on election integrityKeir Starmer is being urged to restore independence to the Electoral Commission, with MPs and peers likely to launch a battle to amend the elections bill in the new year.In a letter to the prime minister, MPs and peers will warn the elections watchdog should not be overseen by the political parties in charge of holding to account. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Princess of Wales calls for end to ‘stigma’ around addiction 24. November 2025 (07:01) Forward Trust patron says ‘compassion and love’ are needed to end fear and shame felt by those affectedThe Princess of Wales has called for an end to the “stigma” surrounding addictions, saying the experiences of those dependent on drugs, alcohol or gambling are “shaped by fear, shame and judgment”.Catherine, who is a patron of the charity Forward Trust supporting recovering addicts, said more open conversations were needed to bring the issue “out of the shadows” and for society to show “compassion and love” to those affected. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Civil liberties groups call for inquiry into UK data protection watchdog 24. November 2025 (07:00) Campaigners including Good Law Project describe ICO ‘collapse in enforcement activity’ after Afghan data breach Dozens of civil liberties campaigners and legal professionals are calling for an inquiry into the UK’s data protection watchdog, after what they describe as “a collapse in enforcement activity” after the scandal of the Afghan data breach.A total of 73 academics, senior lawyers, data protection experts and organisations including Statewatch and the Good Law Project, have written to Chi Onwurah, the chair of the cross-party Commons science, innovation and technology committee, calling for an inquiry to be held into the office of the information commissioner, John Edwards. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian federal MPs warned to turn off phones when Chinese delegation visits Parliament House 24. November 2025 (06:54) Liberal party senator calls Department of Parliamentary Services email ‘incredibly concerning’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPoliticians and staff in parts of Parliament House have been urged to turn off their phones, laptops and internet during a visit by Chinese officials, with parliament administrators warning building occupants about interruptions to wifi service.The shadow cybersecurity minister, Claire Chandler, called the warning “incredibly concerning”, saying the parliament advisory raised worries about threats to sensitive data. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Udo Kier, German actor who starred in 200 films spanning Lars von Trier to Ace Ventura, dies aged 81 24. November 2025 (06:06) Actor who appeared in My Own Private Idaho, Blade, Armageddon and Dogville, as well as Madonna music videos and video games, died on SundayUdo Kier, the German actor who appeared in 275 roles across Hollywood and European cinema, including multiple films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Gus Van Sant and Lars von Trier, has died aged 81.Kier died on Sunday morning, his partner Delbert McBride told Variety. The actor died in hospital in Palm Springs, California, his friend the photographer Michael Childers announced on social media. No cause of death was given. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘An inner duty’: the 35-year quest to bring Bach’s lost organ works to light 24. November 2025 (06:00) Musicologist Peter Wollny chanced upon the manuscripts in 1992 and authenticating them took half of his lifetimeThe best fictional detectives are famed for their intuition, an ability to spot some seemingly ineffable discrepancy. Peter Wollny, the musicologist behind last week’s “world sensational” revelation of two previously unknown works by Johann Sebastian Bach, had a funny feeling when he chanced upon two intriguing sheets of music in a dusty library in 1992.His equivalent of the Columbo turn, from mere hunch to unravelling a secret, would take up half his life. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
