The Guardian

Liz Sayce, who led inquiry into department’s failures, ‘distressed’ at carers being blamed for running up huge overpayments The Department of Work and Pensions needs a management and cultural overhaul if it is to restore public trust after the benefits scandal which left hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers in debt, a key government adviser has warned. Prof Liz Sayce led a scathing review of th…

Over-the-top praise for an item should ring alarm bells, with fake feedback generated by AI, bots and humans on a mass scale You’re doing a spot of online Christmas shopping and see an air fryer that is competitively priced. You don’t recognise the brand, but the reviews are fantastic – five-star raves that say things such as “this product changed my life” and “this is the greatest air fryer ever…

Training and qualifications body, acquired by private Greek firm in October, to become ‘leaner organisation’ The training and qualifications body City & Guilds is shrinking its UK workforce as part of a £22m cost-cutting drive after it was acquired by a private Greek business in October. Founded in 1878 by the City of London and a group of 16 livery companies, the original institute developed a n…

Baronesses Nadine and Ariane de Rothschild at odds over future of Swiss chateau’s priceless contents After three generations of genteel discretion bordering on secrecy, the international banking family the Rothschilds has been riven by rival claims to a multibillion-euro fortune including a vast collection of art masterpieces. The battle now playing out in the courts and media has pitched the 93-…

Her delivery might be stilted – but Truss’ new YouTube show has grand ambitions: a ‘Trump revolution’ in Britain with the help of an influential US conservative ecosystem Liz Truss, Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, began the first edition of her YouTube show with a vow to unmask “the evil-doers” attempting to bring down Britain, the US and Europe. She would, she explained, reveal how an…

Device belonging to missing hiker Celine Cremer found in an area that had ‘been extensively searched previously’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Police will officially join private investigators and local volunteers in scouring the Tasmanian wilderness for a Belgian tourist, two-and-a-half years after she went mis…

Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, says ‘shooter or shooters’ still at large and number of victims could change Follow live updates At least two people were killed and eight more critically injured in a shooting on Saturday in the area of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, the city’s mayor said at a news conference, after the school issued an active-shooter alert and urged students and…

Attorney general’s move to pay back part of $22,000 travel cost makes her the first minister to reimburse taxpayers in growing expenses scandal Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, will repay part of the cost of taking her family on a holiday to Western Australia after the indepe…

Suspect or suspects at large as Ivy League university tells students to take shelter during second day of final exams Multiple people shot at Brown University in Rhode Island, police say Kristy DosReis, the city of Providence’s chief public information officer for public safety, declined to provide details on the number of people injured or whether any were killed. “There have been multiple peopl…

Specialist teams will deal with offences such as rape and stalking as part of VAWG strategy, home secretary says All police forces in England and Wales will have dedicated rape and sexual offences teams by 2029, the government has said. The plans are being unveiled as the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, prepares to outline a delayed strategy on violence against women and girls (VAWG) next week. …

The attorney general had billed taxpayers to take her children with her on a trip to Perth. Follow live updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Good morning, and welcome to the blog! I am Cait Kelly and I will be with you throughout the day. A few things around this morning : Continue reading...

UN secretary general António Guterres says ‘unjustifiable’ attack on base in city of Kadugli ‘could be war crime’ A drone strike hit a United Nations facility in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, killing six peacekeepers, the UN secretary general António Guterres has said. The strike hit the peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, in the central region of Kordofan, Guterres said in a statem…

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation signed deal in October, but president says tribe is now trying to exit contract A Native American tribe in Kansas is facing criticism from other tribal groups after its economic development subsidiary secured a $29.9m federal contract from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to design potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. Th…

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died from blunt-impact trauma on ride at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park A Florida sheriff’s office has concluded that the death of a 32-year-old man while riding a high-speed roller coaster at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park was accidental. According to a report released Friday by the local medical examiner, Kevin Rodriguez Zavala suffered a deep cut on the left …

If Saed is dead he would be most senior militant to be killed since October ceasefire, in attack on car that reportedly left four dead The senior Hamas commander Raed Saedhas been killed in a strike on a car in Gaza City, the Israeli military said on Saturday. The attack killed four people and wounded at least 25 others, according to Gaza health authorities. There was no immediate confirmation fr…