Owner of scandal-plagued Panthera Finance tells court it was not technically operating illegally in Victoria 17. November 2025 (15:00) Francom claims that because Panthera had ‘acquired’ the debts, it was not technically engaged in collecting debt owed to a third partyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne of Australia’s largest debt collection firms has claimed that scandal-plagued Panthera Finance was not technically banned from operating in Victoria after it was blacklisted by the state’s consumer watchdog.Consumer Affairs Victoria launched legal action against Panthera Finance last year, alleging it operated in the state illegally after a federal court ruling in 2020, and despite warnings that doing so could amount to a criminal offence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Business and energy leaders warn Coalition dumping net zero won’t cut power bills and demand more detail 17. November 2025 (15:00) CEO of Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry calls Sussan Ley’s new policy ‘a bit of a plan not to have a plan’, echoing business scepticismGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereBusiness and energy industry leaders have warned the Coalition that abandoning a net zero emissions target will not cut power bills, undermining the core promise of Sussan Ley’s signature new policy.The chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Andrew McKellar, dismissed the policy as a “bit of a plan not to have a plan”, as the Coalition’s traditional business allies distanced themselves from it. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
TotalEnergies buys €5.1bn stake in Czech tycoon’s power plants business 17. November 2025 (14:55) Daniel Křetínský to become a major shareholder in French oil firm as part of deal creating 50/50 joint ventureThe Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský is to become one of the largest shareholders in TotalEnergies after selling a stake in his electricity generation business, which includes several UK power plants, to the French oil company.Křetínský, whose companies own stakes in Royal Mail and West Ham United football club, agreed to sell a 50% stake in his stable of European power plants to TotalEnergies for about €5.1bn (£4.5bn) in exchange for about 4.1% of Total’s share capital. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Poland railway blast was unprecedented act of sabotage, says Donald Tusk 17. November 2025 (14:44) Polish PM vows to ‘catch the perpetrators, regardless of who their backers are’ after blast on track used for deliveries to UkraineEurope live – latest updatesPoland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, has described an explosion along a section of railway line used for deliveries to Ukraine as an “unprecedented act of sabotage” that could have led to disaster.There were no casualties from the incident on the line from Warsaw to Lublin, but the consequences could have been catastrophic if the gap in the tracks had caused a train travelling at full speed to derail. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
