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Environment minister due to decide on controversial plan by end of the month in one of his first major challenges in new portfolio

One meeting contained closely held information' and was pens-down', state parliament committee hears

Bank torn between calls to cut interest rates to boost growth and need to damp down price rises

NSW premier Chris Minns says service not good enough' as delays continue on Wednesday after high-voltage wire fell on train, crippling network

Uinversity students' mental health and wellbeing must be prioritised alongside their studies', argue campaignersA review of student suicides in England dodged the real issues" with universities, the parents of a student who killed herself before a class presentation have said.The national review of higher education student suicide deaths, commissioned by the Department for Education, heard that families suffered distressing experiences" at the hands of university administrators, and concluded that universities owed a duty of candour" to relatives, including greater transparency and involvement.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

The Emmy-nominated comedian and actor was best known for his role in the long-running sitcomGeorge Wendt, the actor best known for playing Norm in long-running sitcom Cheers, has died at 76.His death was confirmed by his publicist in a statement. Continue reading...

Music mogul's sex-trafficking trial continues as David James returns to stand and tells of incident that shook' himThe federal trial against Sean Diddy" Combs continued on Tuesday, with his former personal assistant David James returning to the witness stand.Combs, 55, is facing charges of sex-trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in September 2024 and has pleaded not guilty.In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...

The Reform UK leader, who has made at least nine trips abroad since general election, will return to UK next weekNigel Farage missed the parliamentary debate on the biggest reset to Brexit since the referendum because he is overseas on holiday, the Reform UK leader has said.Following speculation that he was on holiday in France, Farage, who has not been seen in the Commons this week and did not present his GB News show on Monday, released a statement confirming he was away. Continue reading...

Environment secretary makes announcement after company's chair said he may have misspoken' to MPsLarge bonuses due to be paid to Thames Water executives from an emergency 3bn loan have been withdrawn", the environment secretary Steve Reed said on Tuesday, after the Guardian revealed the chair of the company wrongly told parliament creditors had insisted" on the payments.Reed told the environment, food and rural affairs (Efra) committee on Tuesday that the retention payment plan had been withdrawn by Thames Water. He said: I am very happy indeed that Thames have now dropped those proposals. It was the wrong thing to do. They have now withdrawn their proposal to make those payments." Continue reading...

United Nations special rapporteur on torture urges Queensland parliament to vote down the laws

Ruth Lopez held without access to lawyers at secret location accused of embezzlement' a decade agoThe head lawyer of a human rights group representing the families of Venezuelan migrants imprisoned in El Salvador after being deported from the United States has been arrested.Ruth Lopez, an outspoken critic of President Nayib Bukele, was detained late on Sunday under an order from the prosecutor's office which accused her of embezzlement" when she worked for an electoral court a decade ago, the human rights group Cristosal said in a statement. Continue reading...

PM says deal is good for fishing' with reduced red tape and uncertainty caused by annual negotiationsQ: Will the UK now be subject to EU rules?Reynolds says he would push back against that. He says UK and EU rules are currently aligned. If EU rules were to change, the UK would want a say in shaping them. Continue reading...

Rights group declared undesirable organisation' amid Kremlin crackdown on critics, journalists and activistsAmnesty International has said it will not halt its work after Russia declared the rights group an undesirable organisation", in effect banning its operations in the country and exposing supporters to prosecution.This decision is part of the Russian government's broader effort to silence dissent and isolate civil society," Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International's secretary general, said. We will redouble our efforts to expose Russia's egregious human rights violations both at home and abroad." Continue reading...

Announcement by home secretary Yvette Cooper comes after Iranian nationals charged with spying in BritiainMinisters will draw up new laws to ban state-backed groups such as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the face of growing complex" threats from foreign powers, Yvette Cooper said on Monday.The home secretary made the announcement after three Iranian nationals were charged on Saturday with spying in the UK. Continue reading...

Exclusive: amount due to official failures, resulting in carers running up huge overpayments over months and yearsAt least 357m in carer's allowance benefit was paid out in error over the past six years due to official failures, resulting in debt and misery being inflicted on hundreds of thousands of people.The bulk of the figure relates to minor breaches of earnings rules by carers which the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was alerted to but did not check, allowing carers to run up huge overpayments over months and years. Continue reading...

New episodes of the more than 50-year-old show will run on Netflix and PBS after HBO owner opted not to renew dealNetflix has thrown Sesame Street a safety net with a new streaming deal that offers the popular children's show a broad reach while simultaneously keeping it on its longstanding home, PBS, the companies announced Monday.Starting later this year, new episodes will run on Netflix, PBS and the PBS Kids app on the same day. No specific premiere date was immediately announced. Select past episodes will be available on Netflix worldwide. Continue reading...

Tourist authority backtracks on use of influencers after one tiny cove is swamped by 4,000 visitors a dayThe authorities in Spain's Balearic Islands have said they will stop using social media influencers to promote popular destinations, saying selfie tourism" is damaging some of its most beautiful locations.In an attempt to quell the effects of overtourism, the Balearics had hoped that influencers, many of whom have hundreds of thousands of followers, might relieve the strain on some better-known sites by directing visitors elsewhere. Continue reading...

The UK and EU have reached a deal, in what Downing Street hopes will be a reset with Brussels after Brexit. But with negotiations coming down to the wire and fishing yet again a sticking point, how much has changed? Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look at how the talks unfolded and how the politics around the new deal could play out Continue reading...

Cash injection includes $9.3bn for public hospitals and nearly $50m to expand trial prescribing program

Market pricing implies 95% chance of quarter point drop to 3.85%, but there's also speculation of surprise bumper half percentage point cut

Exclusive: Senior Liberal sources question rightwing advocacy group's impact - and ongoing role - after Labor landslide

While acknowledging he is not an expert in that area of economics', the director criticised Trump's announcement of a 100% tariff on films from foreign lands'American director Wes Anderson has mocked Donald Trump's plan to impose severe tariffs on foreign-made films, suggesting it would mostly financially hit film-makers like him and be unworkable in practice.Can you hold up the movie in customs?" the world's chief auteur of cinematic whimsy asked at a press conference at the Cannes film festival. I feel it doesn't ship that way. I'm not sure I want to know the details so I'll hold off on my official answer." Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read our report hereAshifa Kassam and Jakub Krupa in WarsawThe next two weeks will decide the future of Poland", its prime minister, Donald Tusk, has warned last night, as the country prepares for a presidential runoff vote on 1 June after a nail-bitingly close first round. Continue reading...

Ofgem price cap on gas and electricity likely to drop by 129 to 1,720 a year, says consultancy Cornwall Insight

Nicuor Dan begins process of forming a government after beating George Simion, an ultranationalist who wants to halt Ukraine support

Mohamed and Marie-Anne Bakhaty say they could not use their swimming pool and had to cancel garden partyMany a child has experienced the anxiety of knocking on a frustrated neighbour's door to ask for their ball back.But one couple in Hampshire have become so exasperated by the seemingly endless stream of footballs landing in the garden of their 2m home from a nearby school they have successfully sued the county council. Continue reading...

Rightmove says figure has risen in May by 0.6% compared with April despite lower demand from new buyersThe average asking price of a home in Great Britain has hit a new record high for the second month in a row, with sellers seeking almost 380,000 on average in May, according to a property website.Across England, Scotland and Wales, the asking price for homes coming on to the market has risen by 2,335 or 0.6% in May compared with April, Rightmove found. This took the average asking price to a new record of 379,517, after a previous record was set last month. Continue reading...

Polar jet stream to break down areas of high pressure, while cold winds could bring snow to South AfricaThe extremely dry spring weather in north-western Europe has continued this month, with swathes of the UK, northern France, the Low Countries and Germany receiving just 10% of their normal May rainfall.The summery conditions, caused by semi-permanent high pressure across the region, are expected to change significantly this week, ending the dry spell for many and delivering much-needed rainfall. Continue reading...

Chief executive Michael O'Leary says full-year results are robust' and airline will pay about 400m in dividends

Staff tell Guardian ripped-off Americans will have nowhere to turn' if Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is undoneDonald Trump's bid to gut the top US consumer watchdog has left the agency unable to protect consumers amid mounting fears of recession, according to workers.For months the Trump administration has pushed to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and fire the vast majority of its workforce. Ripped-off Americans will have nowhere to turn" if it succeeds, staff told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Talks continue following election defeat as MPs jostle for shadow cabinet positions

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Sixty-two people pulled from water overnight after boat broke up, including child and his mother suffering from hypothermiaOne person has died after a small boat sank while trying to cross the Channel overnight, French authorities said.Sixty-two people were pulled from the water after the overloaded" boat broke up, the Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea said. Continue reading...

Expert tells court that phone records show potential' for accused to have been in Outtrim and Loch days after reports of deadly fungi were posted online

AEC vote recount expected in Sydney north shore seat after Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian overtaken in final surge

Attempts to bring down the price of the Japanese staple have had little effect amid a cost-of-living crisisJapan's government is battling record-low approval ratings as consumers voice anger at soaring rice prices just weeks before key national elections.Attempts to bring down the price of the Japanese staple have had little effect, prompting calls for a reduction in the consumption (sales) tax to ease the cost-of-living crisis. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Survey commissioned by children's charities shows UK voters want to see families prioritisedCharities and a Labour-aligned pressure group are ramping up calls on Keir Starmer to scrap the two-child limit on benefits, as polling shows support for action on youth poverty remains high, and is equally solid among Labour voters tempted by Reform.As discussions continue in government ahead of the forthcoming child poverty strategy, a survey commissioned by a coalition of charities suggests voters want to see families prioritised. Continue reading...

Campaigners say secretive ownership structures are becoming the go-to vehicle for kleptocrats'The owners of nearly a quarter of a million properties in England and Wales worth a combined 64bn are hidden behind opaque trusts, according to research that prompts concern that such structures are the go-to vehicle for kleptocrats" stashing money in Britain.The government introduced a register of property held through offshore vehicles in August 2022, revealing a string of unknown owners, including high-profile figures such as Lewis Hamilton and James Dyson, as well as sanctioned Russians, Gulf royals and the Chinese state. Continue reading...

Families of the disappeared' say kidnapped children may be living across EuropeWomen whose relatives were murdered and disappeared under Argentina's military dictatorship will meet EU officials in Brussels on Monday to seek support for expanded DNA testing to identify missing children.A delegation from the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, a campaigning group, will denounce efforts by the far-right president, Javier Milei, to dismantle the search for missing persons. They will seek support for continuing their efforts to find the children of the disappeared who were illegally adopted, many of whom may be in Europe. Continue reading...

Billionaire's comments come in wake of former SAS soldier losing his appeal against defamation case ruling

Results show Bucharest mayor taking 54.2% of vote in presidential race, with far-right rival George Simion on 45.8%The centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicuor Dan, is set to win Romania's pivotal presidential election with 99% of votes counted, according to official figures showing the pro-EU independent eight points clear of his far-right rival, George Simion.The figures from Romania's central election authority showed Dan, who had cast the second round vote as a battle between a pro-western and an anti-western Romania", on 54.2%, while Simion, a self-professed Trump admirer, had 45.8%. Continue reading...

European Commission president raises prospect to two-way stability' as PM reaffirms support for Ukraine and speaks to Pope Leo XIV about his mother

Exclusive: Cardiologist Dr Jon Byrne warns true death toll could be 800 a year as not all specialist centres shared data

Presenter expected to host his last Match of the Day on Sunday and will not front 2026 World Cup coverageGary Lineker is expected to announce he is leaving the BBC on Monday after apologising for amplifying online material with antisemitic connotations, the Guardian understands.The Match of the Day host will reportedly not present the 2026 World Cup or next season's FA Cup after bowing out by mutual agreement" with the broadcaster. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. You can read the latest updates on the parliamentary elections in Portugal here, Romania's presidential race here and Poland's presidential first round poll here.That's a higher result for Nicuor Dan than perhaps expected. The turnout clearly plays a role here, too.But these are just exit polls, and they do not seem to account for the crucial diaspora vote. Continue reading...

Incumbent Democratic Alliance, led by caretaker prime minister Luis Montenegro, falls well short of majorityPortugal's incumbent, centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) has won the country's third snap general election in three years - but once again fallen well short of a majority - as the underperforming socialists were left vying for second place with the far-right Chega party, which took a record 22% of the vote.By midnight on Sunday, with 99% of the votes counted, the AD - led by the prime minister, Luis Montenegro - had won 32.1% of the vote and taken 86 seats in Portugal's 230-seat assembly, leaving it far shy of the 116 needed for a majority. The Socialist party (PS) had taken 23.4% of the vote t0 Chega's 22.6%, and the two were tied on 58 seats each. Continue reading...

Exhibition at Holburne Museum features 32 experimental land and seascapes that chart artist's evolution

Fleet of tankers sailing under flags of convenience estimated to carry up to 85% of Russia's oil exportsCalls to step up and coordinate the interdiction of the unflagged Russian shadow fleet" of oil tankers in the Baltic Sea were made this weekend before the EU foreign ministers' meeting on Monday, which is expected to impose sanctions on 180 ships, taking the total number of ships sanctioned by the EU to 350.The efforts to stop the fleet, estimated to be carrying as much as 85% of Russia's oil exports and so funding roughly a third of Russia's budget, are seen as a critical proof of the EU's determination to keep the economic pressure on Russia. Continue reading...

Encounter between Ukrainian president and JD Vance comes after Russia launches largest attack since start of warUkraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy met US vice-president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio to prepare for a planned call on Monday with Donald Trump over a way to end three years of war in Ukraine.The encounter took place on the sidelines of Pope Leo's inauguration on Sunday. Continue reading...

Though analysts still expect multiple rate cuts this year, expectations for major drops are evaporating