Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart spotted at Donald Trump’s Halloween party

Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, has been spotted at Donald Trump’s Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago resort.The mining billionaire, who has never shied from publicly praising the controversial two-time US president, was seen speaking at Trump’s ear while he read a piece of paper in a social media post at the lavish affair at the weekend, as first reported by the Nine newspapers.The image, posted by the former US attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, also included the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio.The 1920s, Great Gatsby-themed party also reportedly attracted the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, who the Nine newspapers claimed was seen in a private story on Instagram.Sign up: AU Breaking News emailHanson’s office confirmed to Guardian Australia that the senator is absent from the upper house this week because she is in the US

The Nord Stream riddle: echoes of mistrust ripple through Europe

Chunky steel pipes run through one of the exhibition rooms at Warsaw’s Museum of Contemporary Art, part of an installation that purports to show “how gas flows, propaganda and conspiracy theories intertwine”.The exhibit is an artistic nod to Nord Stream 2, the undersea gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, which was completed in 2021 but had not entered service when mysterious underwater explosions took it out of action in September 2022.The pipeline has caused anger and anxiety in Poland ever since construction began in 2015, serving as a symbol of Germany’s close economic cooperation with Russia, a policy that was abandoned after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Now, three years after the blast that took Nord Stream 2 and its predecessor Nord Stream 1 out of commission, the ill-fated project is again causing sharp divisions among European allies after Poland refused to extradite a prime suspect in the explosion to Germany earlier this month.In the immediate aftermath of the attack, many suspected Moscow might have been responsible, but evidence has instead pointed to a plot carried out by Ukrainians

John Lewis to open VIP lounge at Oxford Street store with free drinks and massages

John Lewis is to open a VIP space at its Oxford Street store in London as part of a drive to lure customers back, after years in which it has lost ground to rivals including Marks & Spencer.The retailer is to unveil the John Lewis Lounge on Tuesday, with access for members of its loyalty card scheme, weeks after reporting group losses had nearly tripled to £88m in the first half of this year.In the area, which the company said would be trialled until Christmas, customers will be served a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or hot drink as well as given hand and arm massages, Waitrose chocolates, and nibbles from the cafe chain Benugo.The company describes the area as “VIP retreat or third space”, a “haven where members can rest and recharge … a moment of serenity”.Rosie Hanley, the brand director at John Lewis, said: “Our new John Lewis Lounge is about rewarding loyalty with a premium experience

A million young people aren’t in a job or training. Britain has a problem | Richard Partington

Almost a million young people are not in education, employment or training. Employers are freezing their hiring plans. Unemployment is at a four-year high. Not all is right in the UK jobs market, and the outlook is getting worse.Typically it takes a full-blown recession to spark the type of growth in unemployment that Britain is witnessing today

Victims robbed of £4bn in ‘insulting’ car loan redress scheme, say claims firms

Victims of the car loans scandal could miss out on more than £4bn in compensation if the City regulator ploughs ahead with plans for an “insulting” interest rate in its redress scheme, consumer groups and claims firms say.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been accused of offering a reduced rate of interest which will be added to compensation from banks for borrowers caught up in the car loan commissions scandal.Claims law firms and consumer groups say borrowers should be offered the same terms as Marcus Johnson: the sole driver whose case was upheld by the supreme court in a landmark case in August.While the terms of the final payout are sealed, Johnson is widely believed by industry experts to have received about 7% interest on his compensation package, after judges ordered the parties to negotiate a “commercial rate”. But the watchdog has proposed a rate of 2

Delivery firm DPD accused of ‘revenge’ sacking drivers who criticised pay cuts

The delivery firm DPD has been accused of “revenge” sackings after workers spoke out against a plan to cut thousands of pounds from their earnings, including their Christmas bonus.The company, which reported pre-tax profits of nearly £200m last year and plays a significant role in the festive rush to have gifts and parcels delivered, has even threatened to withhold money from some staff to pay for the cost of replacing them, the Guardian has learned.DPD confirmed it had dismissed workers after an estimated 1,500 self-employed drivers chose not to take on any work for a three-day period in protest at the plans.It emerged earlier this month that the company had told workers it planned to cut 65p from the rate it pays for most of its deliveries on 29 September.Drivers said the cut, which came to as much as £25 a day, and the loss of a £500 Christmas bonus, was likely to add up to more than £6,000 a year for each worker – and as much as £8,000 for those who take on a lot more deliveries over Christmas