Incredible story of Irish labourer buried alive in coffin for 61 days told in new documentary 17. November 2025 (15:10) Mick Meaney made global headlines when he beat world record in 1968, but returned to Ireland pennilessThey were known as burial artists – people who had themselves buried alive in macabre feats of endurance – and Mick Meaney resolved to be the best there ever was.It was 1968 and the Irish labourer had barely a pound to his name but he believed that if he stayed underground in a coffin longer than anyone else the world would remember his name. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
South Korean decision to close all coal-fired power plants by 2040 sounds alarm for Australian exports 17. November 2025 (15:00) Decision announced at Cop30 climate conference signposts risks for Australia’s reliance on fossil fuel exports, analysts sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government has been urged to prepare for a shift away from thermal coal exports and accelerate green industries after one of its main international customers signed up to close all coal-fired power plants by 2040.South Korea, Australia’s third-biggest market for coal burned to generate electricity, announced at the Cop30 climate conference in Brazil that it was joining the “powering past coal alliance”, a group of about 60 nations and 120 sub-national governments, businesses and organisations committed to phasing out the fossil fuel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
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)
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)
