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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

The premier has been upbeat but there are signs of cuts to come and one analyst warns the state's financial strategy needs a course correction'

Gathering of face and voice data went unnoticed for one month after it was automatically enabled for video conferencing app users in March

Merger of Liberal Judaism and Reform Judaism will be first in any major religion for more than half a centuryTwo Jewish movements in the UK have united to form Progressive Judaism, embracing female rabbis, same-sex marriage and mixed-faith couples and representing about a third of British Jews who are affiliated to synagogues.Liberal Judaism and Reform Judaism took the historic step of voting to unite at parallel meetings on Sunday. Each vote easily exceeded the required 75% threshold for the move, with about 95% in favour. Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and JD Vance among 150,000 present as Leo says he wants Catholic church to be leaven of unity'Pope Leo XIV said he wanted the Catholic church to be a small leaven of unity" in a time of too much discord and too many wounds", during his inaugural papal mass attended by world leaders including the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the US vice-president, JD Vance.Calling for more love and unity, Leo said the church's true authority" was the charity of Christ. He said: It is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda or by means of power. Instead, it is always and only a question of loving as Jesus did." Continue reading...

Palliative care consultant says insufficient consideration given to how disadvantaged communities may be affectedMinisters have not adequately considered how assisted dying would affect disadvantaged communities, a palliative care doctor and clinical academic has said.Bradford-based Jamilla Hussain said the equality impact assessment for the assisted dying bill was lightweight", and her own research had highlighted concerns that had not been reflected in the document. Continue reading...

Former cabin crew member Charlotte May Lee, 21, reportedly accused of trying to bring 46kg of cannabis strain kush into countryUK officials have said they are supporting a British woman arrested in Sri Lanka amid reports a former cabin crew member has been accused of smuggling cannabis into the South Asian country.MailOnline and the Sun reported that Charlotte May Lee, 21, from Coulsdon, south London, was detained at the main airport in the country's capital Colombo on Monday after arriving on a flight from Bangkok. Continue reading...

Starmer's island of strangers' immigration speech brings wave of condemnation from anti-racism campaignersLabour faces a watershed moment in its relationship with Black and Asian voters, experts warn, as the fallout from Keir Starmer's immigration speech continues with a wave of condemnation from anti-racism campaigners.The prime minister's claim that uncontrolled" migration had done incalculable" damage to British society has been labelled a betrayal by equalities groups. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Politicians including Andy Burnham call for councils to be given powers to stop new sites openingSlot machine companies are targeting Britain's poorest neighbourhoods and channelling the proceeds to billionaire-owned overseas corporations and a Wall Street fund that uses an offshore lending structure, the Guardian can reveal.The number of slot machine shops has risen by 7% since 2022, as companies -friendly planning and licensing laws to flood Britain's high streets with new adult gaming centres" (AGCs), most of which are open 24 hours a day. Continue reading...

Some conservatives rejected Francis for his leftist leanings, but Leo could be able to realize his forerunner's visionsRightwing Catholic Americans in positions of power - from the vice-president, JD Vance, to Leonardo Leo - may have breathed a brief sigh of relief when, after the white smoke cleared, Pope Leo XIV emerged on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica donning a traditional red mozzetta with a papal stole.It was, observers pointed out, a starkly different choice than his predecessor Pope Francis, a reviled figure among many staunch conservatives, who had worn all white on the same occasion in 2013 to symbolize his desire for simplicity and humility. Continue reading...

Kyiv officials believe Moscow is not interested in peace despite talks in Istanbul and Trump's interventionUkrainian officials believe a largely stalemated war of attrition with Russia is likely to continue for several more years, despite international efforts pushed by Donald Trump to end the fighting.After the inconclusive breakup of the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul on Friday, and despite the US president's planned calls with Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they see no evidence that Moscow is serious about peace. Continue reading...

Regulator says claims over failures no longer limited to the cost of a ticket in bid to toughen accessibility rulesRailway operators in the UK could soon have to pay out far greater sums in compensation to disabled passengers left unable to access trains despite booking assistance.The rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), has warned companies running trains and stations that compensation claims for failures can no longer be limited to the cost of a ticket. Continue reading...

Lib Dem MP says UK's recent tone is tougher but in terms of concrete actions, not much has changed'Layla Moran has told the UK government to match its tougher tone on Israel with action as she warned that people in Gaza face unbearably cruel levels of destitution".The Lib Dem MP called for further action, including recognition of a Palestinian state, in a renewed appeal for the family of Mohammad, an NHS doctor who operated on her last year, whose elderly parents remain stuck in northern Gaza. Continue reading...

This blog is now closedLiberals must build from the bottom up' after election disaster - RustonAsked why the Liberals were now reviewing their embrace of the Paris climate agreement under the former government of Scott Morrison, Ruston says the walloping voters handed the party meant absolutely everything" was up for review.To be quite frank, we have to build from the bottom up again because that election result was quite disastrous for the Liberal party and we need to be open and honest with ourselves about what we need to take forward so that we are meeting Australia where they are and not talking about where we are.Clearly we need to be doing something different. I think, you know, keeping an open mind, making sure we're honest and open with that analysis of what went wrong, and actually come out with a policy proposal and a modern Liberal party, still maintaining all of the values that we hold so dearly.Oh God, no, no, anything but, please. We have been there before many times over the past 20 years or so and to reopen the climate wars, as you aptly describe them, is like reopening an old wound. Continue reading...

Residents of India-administered Kashmir worry root cause of conflict remains and return of violence is inevitableA week after fleeing artillery fire from across the border, Rina Begum returned to find her home in Kashmir devastated. The walls were cracked, the roof crumbling, windows blown inward, and glass shards scattered across the floor, mingling with the ashes of her daughter's books.The 45-year-old gazed out through a fractured window frame at the looming mountains. Hell has been raining down from there," she said. Continue reading...