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)
Atmospheric river storm leaves six dead after drenching California 17. November 2025 (13:52) Lingering thunderstorms pose risk of mudslides in areas around Los Angeles recently ravaged by wildfiresA powerful atmospheric river weather system has mostly moved through California but not before causing at least six deaths and dousing much of the state.Early Monday lingering thunderstorms pose the risk of mudslides in areas of Los Angeles county that were recently ravaged by wildfire. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Far-right group with links to neo-Nazi leader offers online military training 17. November 2025 (13:00) Experts say Observations Group’s connections to the Base and Rinaldo Nazzaro present ‘urgent danger’In the underworld of accelerationist neo-Nazis, where talk of attacks against western governments are commonplace, the spread of illegal weapons manuals and tradecraft on drone warfare are proliferating. Experts say, in some cases, that classes are being taught online with the input of leadership from proscribed terrorist groups with links to Russian intelligence.Authorities have been warning, on both sides of the Atlantic, about the accessibility of drone technologies and military veterans on the far right with the know-how to use them, presenting a grave national security threat. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
AI firms must be clear on risks or repeat tobacco’s mistakes, says Anthropic chief 17. November 2025 (12:35) Artificial intelligence will become smarter than ‘most or all humans in most or all ways’, says Dario AmodeiBusiness live – latest updatesArtificial intelligence companies must be transparent about the risks posed by their products or be in danger of repeating the mistakes of tobacco and opioid companies, according to the chief executive of the AI startup Anthropic.Dario Amodei, who runs the US company behind the Claude chatbot, said he believed AI would become smarter than “most or all humans in most or all ways” and urged his peers to “call it as you see it”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
WPP shares leap amid takeover bid speculation 17. November 2025 (12:09) Advertising group declines to comment on reports of interest from rival Havas and private equity groups Apollo and KKRBusiness live – latest updatesShares in WPP have risen sharply amid speculation that the advertising group could be the subject of a takeover by a rival or a private equity buyer.Its French rival Havas, which was listed on Euronext in Amsterdam in December and is controlled by the billionaire Vincent Bolloré, has reportedly held internal talks about a potential bid as WPP’s share price languishes at levels not seen since the mid-1990s. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer braced for backlash from Labour MPs as Mahmood sets out asylum plans – UK politics live 17. November 2025 (11:56) Home secretary to announce a drastic tightening of rules, including requiring asylum seekers to wait 20 years before getting the right to permanently settle in UKMomentum, the leftwing Labour group, has also denounced the government’s asylum plans. In a statement it says:The home secretary’s new immigration plans are divisive and xenophobic.Scapegoating migrants will not fix our public services or end austerity.Draconian, unworkable and potentially illegal anti-asylum policies only feed Reform’s support.The government has learnt nothing from the period since the general election.Some of the legal changes being proposed are truly frightening:Abolishing the right to a family life would ultimately affect many more people than asylum-seekers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Weather tracker: Storm Claudia brings more flooding to Portugal and Spain 17. November 2025 (11:51) Heavy rainfall hit Galicia region first before slowly moving across western parts of the Iberian peninsulaPortugal and Spain are again recovering from flooding after Storm Claudia brought heavy rain and strong winds last week. The storm developed from an area of low pressure that had earlier driven early season cold and snowy conditions through eastern parts of Canada and the north-eastern US through early November.The system tracked eastwards across the Atlantic during the second weekend of November before slowing and stalling to the north-west of the Iberian peninsula, caught in the trough of an increasingly amplified, or wavy, jet stream. Spain’s meteorological service AEMET named the storm last Monday before the arrival of several bouts of heavy rainfall, which slowly pushed through during the rest of the week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Explosion on Polish railway was ‘unprecedented act of sabotage,’ says PM – Europe live 17. November 2025 (11:50) Donald Tusk says ‘worst fears confirmed’ over damage on route used to ferry aid deliveries to UkraineOver in Berlin, German chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned about “a deep rift” in Europe’s relations with the US, the growing threat from China and the rapidly progressing systemic challenges to the world order that required a united European response.In a wide-ranging speech at the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Economic Summit, Merz said that Germany faced “a deep rift in transatlantic relations that calls into question almost everything that we have considered right and necessary for decades.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump continues Taylor Greene attacks despite his call to release Epstein files – US politics live 17. November 2025 (11:46) President repeats assertion that former ally is a ‘traitor’ even as he urges fellow Republicans to vote for release of documents relating to sex offenderPresident Trump is set to meet with the White House Task Force at 2pm ET today, as plans ramp up ahead of next summer’s soccer World Cup.The meeting will take place in the Oval Office at the White House. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reeves could allow holiday tax on English hotel and Airbnb stays 17. November 2025 (11:44) Move to give mayors powers to raise funds through levies, but industry says it will ramp up prices and inflationBusiness live – latest updatesBritish holidaymakers could have to pay a nightly tax on hotel stays and Airbnb-style visits in plans expected to be announced by Rachel Reeves in the budget next week.The chancellor is reportedly preparing to give mayors powers to raise taxes by charging tourists on the cost of an overnight stay in their cities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
