Roman amphitheatre older than Colosseum gets accessible facelift for Winter Paralympics 26. November 2025 (07:00) Verona venue to host Milano-Cortina opening ceremonyCritics see changes to 2,000-year-old arena as blasphemyA 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre is to be made fully accessible to people with disabilities before the Winter Paralympic Games in Milano‑Cortina, as organisers prioritise legacy with 100 days to go.The conversion of the Arena di Verona, which will host the Paralympics opening ceremony, includes the addition of a lift and toilets to a structure older than the Colosseum. Described by the Milano-Cortina 2026 chief executive, Andrea Varnier, as “the symbol of our Paralympic Games”, he admits the conversion has also been considered as an act of “blasphemy” by some traditionalists. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Plastic nurdles found at 84% of UK sites of special scientific interest 26. November 2025 (06:00) Environmental charity Fidra says 168 of 195 SSSIs it surveyed are contaminated with tiny pelletsPlastic nurdles have been found in 84% of important nature sites surveyed in the UK.Nurdles are tiny pellets that the plastics industry uses to make larger products. They were found in 168 of 195 sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), so named because of the rare wildlife they harbour. They are given extra protections in an effort to protect them from pollution. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘No topic is too difficult’: children’s series on life in communist East Germany wins an Emmy 26. November 2025 (06:00) In Fritzi’s Footsteps tells story of a girl growing up in Leipzig who witnesses the fall of the Berlin WallThe creators of a children’s television series about life in communist East Germany have said they hope it will awaken interest in the region’s history, after it was awarded an International Emmy.Auf Fritzis Spuren (In Fritzi’s Footsteps) tells the story of a 12-year-old girl living in the eastern city of Leipzig and how she experiences life in the east and the events that lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
All-male lineup take top slots at ABC Sydney after Chris Bath’s shock departure 26. November 2025 (04:42) Director of audio concedes ‘there is always more to do’ on diversity as station staff express dismay at dearth of female presentersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter hereABC radio’s chief, Ben Latimer, says “there is always more to do” on diversity after Chris Bath was replaced with a male presenter on ABC Sydney, leaving the station with an all-male lineup from Breakfast through to Drive in 2026.Bath, who announced her resignation after only one year on Monday, will be replaced by Thomas Oriti in the key Drive slot, which was vacated by the veteran broadcaster Richard Glover after 26 years.Sign up to get Guardian Australia’s weekly media diary as a free newsletter Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Virginia Giuffre died in Australia without a valid will – now the legal battles can resume 26. November 2025 (04:17) WA court appoints administrator to oversee estate after Jeffrey Epstein victim’s lawyer and housekeeper contest Giuffre’s sons being granted authorityAn interim administrator has been appointed to oversee the estate of Virginia Giuffre after she died without a valid will, meaning multiple lawsuits that had been on hold can now resume.Giuffre, 41, died on a small Western Australian farm, 80km north of Perth, in April. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Minnesotans gear up to fight Trump ending Somalis’ temporary protected status 26. November 2025 (03:32) Though president’s order is legally questionable, advocates worry community could be targeted for immigration raidsIn the days since the president said he would be ending a legal immigration status program for Somalis in Minnesota, local elected officials and community members said they will fight back.On Truth Social on Friday, Trump wrote that he would be “terminating, effective immediately” temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota. Trump wrote that Minnesota was a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity”. “Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!” he wrote. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US triples national park fee for non-residents, amid ‘new’ fee for Americans 26. November 2025 (02:31) Interior department, which has defunded conservation organizations, claims fee hike is for conservationThe interior department announced today new “America-first” entrance fees for national parks, commemorative annual passes featuring Donald Trump and “resident-only patriotic fee-free days for 2026” including Trump’s birthday.Starting next year, entrance fees for international visitors will more than triple. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Inflation up to 3.8% as price pressures rise and hopes for Reserve Bank interest rate cuts fall 26. November 2025 (01:36) Treasurer Jim Chalmers says government deciding on energy rebate extension in ‘next few weeks’ as cost of living continues to biteFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastInflation has climbed to 3.8% in the year to October, from 3.6% the month before, as Jim Chalmers flagged he could announce further energy bill subsidies for households in the upcoming midyear budget.Electricity prices were 37% higher in the year to October, which the Australian Bureau of Statistics said mostly reflected the end of state government power bill rebates. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Public sector told to find significant savings but Jim Chalmers denies ‘big job cuts’ 26. November 2025 (01:32) Coalition accuses government of breaking its promise not to cut the public sector as treasurer confirms reductionsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor could cut some public service budgets by as much as 5% as it looks for major savings in next year’s federal budget, but Jim Chalmers denied it would mean “big jobs cuts” for the sector.The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and the finance and public service minister, Katy Gallagher, have confirmed reports in the Australian Financial Review this week that cabinet ministers and department and agency bosses have been asked to find significant budget savings. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Excessive restraint in immigration detention centres ‘deeply concerning’, report finds 26. November 2025 (01:01) Watchdog says force being applied ‘inconsistently, disproportionately, and without adequate justification’Home Office contractors are over-using restraint in immigration detention centres and failing to tackle the toxic culture behind bars, according to the findings of a new watchdog report described as “deeply concerning”.By Force of Habit: How the Use of Force in Immigration Detention Has Lost Sight of Necessity and Dignity was published by the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB), which examines conditions in prisons and immigration detention centres. The findings revealed force being applied inconsistently, disproportionately, and without adequate justification, which it said undermined the dignity and welfare of highly vulnerable individuals. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
