Venezuela’s top opposition leader claims ‘new era’ is coming despite lack of clear plan 18. November 2025 (16:50) María Corina Machado pens a ‘freedom manifesto’ as plan to force Nicolás Maduro from power remains unclearVenezuela’s top opposition leader, the Nobel laureate María Corina Machado, has declared her country “at the edge of a new era” as Donald Trump refused to rule out a ground invasion to topple its authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, but also signalled he was open to talks.Machado, who has lived in hiding since her movement’s candidate was widely believed to have beaten Maduro in last year’s presidential election, made her claim in a “freedom manifesto” that was published on Tuesday as uncertainty continued to shroud the South American country’s future. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cloudflare outage causes error messages across the internet 18. November 2025 (16:11) US company that defends millions of websites against malicious attacks says it believes issue ‘is now resolved’Explainer: What is Cloudflare?A key piece of the internet’s usually hidden infrastructure suffered a global outage on Tuesday, causing error messages to flash up across websites.Cloudflare, a US company whose services include defending millions of websites against malicious attacks, experienced an unidentified problem that meant internet users could not access some of its customers’ websites. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer pleads for government to unite in fightback after difficult week 18. November 2025 (16:09) Prime minister tells cabinet budget leaks and infighting are distracting from priorities and delivering changeUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has warned senior ministers and officials to stop briefing against one another and leaking details of the budget as he pleaded for his embattled government to unite.The prime minister told his weekly cabinet meeting that last week’s political turmoil had distracted from voters’ priorities, and ministers needed to work together and start delivering rather than talking about the government itself. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bhutan PM on leading the first carbon-negative nation: ‘The wellbeing of our people is at the centre of our agenda’ 18. November 2025 (16:00) Exclusive: Tshering Tobgay says his country is doing ‘a lot more than our fair share’ on climate and west must cut emissions ‘for the happiness of your people’The wealthy western countries most responsible for the climate crisis would improve the health and happiness of their citizens by prioritising environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth, according to the prime minister of Bhutan, the world’s first carbon-negative nation.Bhutan, a Buddhist democratic monarchy and biodiversity hotspot situated high in the eastern Himalayas, is among the world’s most ambitious climate leaders thanks to its people’s connection with nature and a strong political focus on improving gross national happiness rather than just GDP, Tshering Tobgay told the Guardian. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trial begins in archdiocese of New Orleans’ $230m settlement for abuse survivors 18. November 2025 (15:50) US bankruptcy judge will decide whether plan is fair to 650 survivors and dozens of other creditorsThe archdiocese of New Orleans has begun a three-week confirmation trial that will determine whether a federal bankruptcy judge signs off on a $230m settlement meant to compensate 650 clergy abuse survivors and resolve one of the US’s longest-running and costliest church bankruptcies.US bankruptcy judge Meredith Grabill will decide whether the plan – five and a half years in the making – is fair to the survivors and dozens of other creditors who have waited through repeated delays, contentious negotiations and a protracted legal fight over a 2021 state law giving survivors of decades-old child sexual abuse the right to sue. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Roblox rolls out age-verification features in Australia as gaming platform insists child social media ban should not apply 18. November 2025 (15:00) Online gaming company says voluntary age assurance technology will limit teens and children messaging users outside their own age groups Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs Roblox rolls out new age assurance features to prevent teens and kids from chatting with adults they do not know, it has insisted Australia’s upcoming under-16s social media ban should not apply to its services.The company, which is releasing the new features in Australia first, said that from Wednesday users will be able to voluntarily have their age estimated by going through the Persona age estimation technology, built into the Roblox app. It will access the camera of a user’s device and take a live estimation of their age based on their facial features. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Slovenia accused of turning Roma neighbourhoods into ‘security zones’ 18. November 2025 (14:38) New law passed giving police powers to raid and surveil homes in so-called ‘high-risk’ areasSlovenia’s government has been accused of turning Roma neighbourhoods into “security zones” after the passing of a law giving police powers to raid and surveil homes in so-called “high-risk” areas.At midnight on Monday, the country’s parliament backed the “Šutar law”, named after Aleš Šutar, who was killed in an altercation with a 21-year-old Romany man after rushing to a nightclub following a distress call from his son. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Four ‘active club’ members sentenced to prison in Sweden for racist assaults 18. November 2025 (14:38) Men aged 20 to 23 convicted at trial that showed pattern of far-right activists assembling in gymsFour men from the Swedish branch of the international far-right “active club” network have been sentenced to prison after they were found guilty of several racially motivated assaults in Stockholm.In a verdict handed down on Tuesday, Stockholm district court said the three violent attacks, which targeted three men in quick succession on the night of 27 August, constituted hate crimes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink to make West End debut in Romeo and Juliet 18. November 2025 (14:25) The actor will appear opposite British film star Noah Jupe in a production directed by Robert Icke opening in MarchStranger Things’ Sadie Sink is to make her West End debut next year in Romeo and Juliet, opposite British film star Noah Jupe, in a production directed by Olivier award-winner Robert Icke.Sink, who plays Max in the Netflix sci-fi hit, started her career on stage. She was cast in the lead role in the musical Annie when she was 10, and remained in it for 18 months in New York. “I was a Broadway kid, so I’ve always dreamed about doing a show in the West End,” she said. “To get to do that in one of Shakespeares’s most famous plays under Rob’s direction with Noah will be such an exciting challenge. London theatre has this incredible energy, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.” Sink becomes the latest in a line of US stars who have made their West End debuts in recent years, including Sigourney Weaver (The Tempest), Brie Larson (Elektra) and Susan Sarandon (Mary Page Marlowe). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Can mountain lions make a comeback in the US north-east? One group hopes so 18. November 2025 (14:00) Reintroducing the apex predator would control deer populations, and maintain healthy ecosystems and bolster biodiversity, rewilding group says Last summer, a wildlife photographer saw, or believed he saw, a mountain lion in South Burlington, Vermont. While it’s possible, it is also remarkable: the apex predator was rendered extinct in northern New England in 1881 and the nearest confirmed breeding population is in North Dakota, 2,000 miles away.But there could be in years hence more definitive sightings if Mighty Earth, a US-headquartered rewilding organization, convinces state and local authorities, along with Vermonters in general, that returning the top-level predator – known in various regions as the cougar, puma, panther and, in the north-east, catamount – to the region. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
