Menulog closing in Australia, affecting thousands of delivery drivers and 120 employees 12. November 2025 (03:28) Transport Workers’ Union says it will be seeking to ensure workers receive fair exit payments before 26 November closureFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMenulog is closing its Australian operations, becoming the latest casualty in the competitive delivery service app sector that will affect thousands of delivery riders, as well as about 120 direct employees.The owner, Dutch multinational Just Eat Takeaway.com, announced on Wednesday that the Australian-founded service will no longer take orders from 26 November.Do you know more? Email jonathan.barrett@theguardian.com Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US ethics officials removed for inquiring into improper access of mortgage files 12. November 2025 (02:58) Fannie Mae officers were investigating whether Trump ally inappropriately accessed mortgage details of Letitia James, Adam Schiff and othersEthics officials at Fannie Mae were removed from their jobs as they investigated whether a top Trump ally improperly accessed mortgage documents of Letitia James, the New York attorney general, and other Democratic officials, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.William Pulte, a staunch Trump defender and the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), has accused James, Adam Schiff, a California senator, and Lisa Cook, a federal reserve governor, of mortgage fraud. All three have denied the accusations and James was indicted on specious federal charges last month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US supreme court extends Trump pause on $4bn in food aid benefits 12. November 2025 (02:17) More uncertainty after justices allow temporary block on full payments for Snap, relied upon by 42 million AmericansMillions of Americans grappling with food insecurity will face more uncertainty this week after the US supreme court enabled the Trump administration to continue withholding funds for food stamps.In an administrative stay issued on Tuesday, the highest court upheld the administration’s request to extend a pause on a federal judge’s ruling that would have required $4bn in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, the food aid relied on by 42 million people, to be distributed. The funding freeze has been given two additional days, and will now remain in place until midnight on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
China sharpens its language on Taiwan as part of ‘longer-term’ strategy 12. November 2025 (01:59) A series of statements, articles, photos and even a new national holiday indicate a shift in Beijing’s stance over the island, analysts sayIn recent weeks China has released a series of statements, articles and photos, that analysts say signal an escalation in the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s approach to Taiwan.Beijing claims Taiwan as a province and has vowed to annex it under what it terms “reunification”. China’s military is not believed to be capable of a full invasion yet, but senior officials have recently started using sharper language. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Russia’s high court bid over Canberra embassy fails but Australian government to pay costs 12. November 2025 (01:14) Court rules 2023 cancellation of $2.75m 99-year lease was legal but Russia must be compensatedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRussia has failed in a high court bid to build a new embassy in Canberra, but the federal government will have to pay compensation for cancelling its lease, and cover the costs of the case.The high court ruled in a majority decision that it was legal for the lease to be cancelled in 2023. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Up in smoke’: Liberal MPs flying to Canberra for net zero meeting forced back to Adelaide 12. November 2025 (01:04) Leah Blyth, Andrew McLachlan and Tony Pasin were onboard a QantasLink flight from Adelaide when crew detected smoke in cabinFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA group of Liberal politicians headed to Canberra for a party room meeting on net zero emissions policy has been forced to return to Adelaide after smoke was detected on their Qantas flight.Senators Leah Blyth and Andrew McLachlan, as well as lower house MP Tony Pasin, were onboard QantasLink flight 1972 from Adelaide when the crew saw smoke in the cabin, prompting the plane to fly back to Adelaide. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tech companies and UK child safety agencies to test AI tools’ ability to create abuse images 12. November 2025 (01:01) New law will allow technology to be examined and ensure tools have safeguards to stop creation of materialTech companies and child protection agencies will be given the power to test whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child abuse images under a new UK law.The announcement was made as a safety watchdog revealed that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material [CSAM] have more than doubled in the past year from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
British music industry adds record £8bn to UK economy, according to UK Music 12. November 2025 (01:01) Taylor Swift’s Eras tour among the big events driving spending, as British artists perform well overseas and job numbers riseThe music industry contributed a record total of £8bn to the UK economy in 2024, powered in part by Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and Take That’s stadium run.According to figures in the annual report from UK Music, the umbrella organisation encompassing a range of bodies including the BPI and PRS for Music, the figure is a 5% rise from the £7.6bn contributed to UK GDP in 2023. As well as tours generating revenue through ticket sales, tourism and more, the £8bn figure also factors in revenue from recorded music, whether via sales, streaming, commercial deals and other sources. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Private care providers in three English regions make £250m in three years 12. November 2025 (01:01) More than third of profits analysed went to firms owned by private equity or based in tax havens, research findsPrivate companies operating care services in just three regions of England have taken more than £250m in profits in three years, with more than a third going to providers owned by private equity firms or companies based in tax havens.New analysis by Reclaiming Our Regional Economies warned that public money is being rapidly funnelled out of the care system into the hands of private companies, rather than reinvested to improve services. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
All schools in England to be given AI-generated pupil attendance targets 12. November 2025 (01:01) Unions decry move, saying it will put more pressure on headteachers without tackling absence from classroomsEvery school in England is to be issued with an AI-generated target for minimum pupil attendance, the government has announced, as part of its continuing efforts to tackle absence in the country’s classrooms.Headteachers will be given the targets this month in an effort to boost attendance rates, which remain stubbornly below pre-pandemic levels. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
