Residents tell of apocalyptic scenes' after more than 60mm of rainfall falls on Italian capital in less than an hourLightning has struck the Constantine Arch near the Colosseum in Rome during a violent thunderstorm, breaking off fragments from the ancient structure, officials have said.

Researchers discover how to use olfactory misinformation' to protect native animals and farmers' crops

Prison governors' leader urges ministers to consider further measures to cut jail population or build new cellsThe UK government's plan to free up prison spaces for at least 18 months with next week's launch of the early release scheme is doomed to fail because cells are being filled by rioters, the prison governors' leader has said.Tom Wheatley, the president of the Prison Governors' Association, said the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, will be lucky to get 12 months before we are full again" after charges against hundreds of people for their role in the recent disorder. Continue reading...

Cost of living crisis, higher mortgage rates and weak consumer confidence weigh on housing market in past yearBarratt Developments has suffered a 75% drop in annual profit and a double-digit decline in home completions after a challenging" year for Britain's biggest housebuilder.The company said the past year had proved tough for the housebuilding industry and potential buyers, as cost of living pressures, much higher mortgage rates and weak consumer confidence weighed on the housing market. Continue reading...

Picnic at Hanging Rock, Happy Days and aged care musical Bloom also on next year's STC program, which will be the last from outgoing artistic director Kip Williams

TGA recently approved importation and supply of overseas-registered tablets to help ease the shortage

Report on 2017 disaster is expected to spotlight serious failings among politicians, builders and manufacturersCompanies and public authorities involved in the Grenfell Tower refurbishment are braced for wide-ranging criticisms when the final public inquiry report on the 2017 disaster is released at 11am on Wednesday.The 1,700-page report is expected to spotlight serious failings among national and local politicians, builders, material manufacturers and sales people, fire-testing experts and the London fire brigade. The inquiry chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, and his inquiry panel colleagues, the architect Thouria Istephan and housing expert Ali Akbor, will also make recommendations to the government to ensure such a disaster is not repeated. Continue reading...

Research shows alarming' rise in essential living costs during retirement, with low-paid workers worst affectedThe average pension pot needed for a basic" retirement has risen by almost 60% in three years, according to research that highlights how the UK cost of living crisis has left many workers fearing they will never be able to retire.The study from the Resolution Foundation thinktank and the Living Wage Foundation found that a number of price rises across housing, energy, food and transport had helped significantly" increase the cost of securing an adequate income in retirement. Continue reading...

Bhim Kohli died in hospital after alleged attack while walking his dog in Franklin Park 20 metres from his homeA 14-year-old boy is being held on suspicion of murdering an 80-year-old man, named by police as Bhim Kohli, who died on Sunday after being allegedly attacked while walking his dog 20 metres from his home.Leicestershire police said Kohli was found having been assaulted at about 6.30pm in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town. Four other children who had been arrested have been released by police. Continue reading...

Kate Washington tells hearing accredited providers' will continue with hotel and motel placements for children removed from families

Volodymyr Zelenskiy says more than 206 people injured as unconfirmed reports say strike targeted military ceremonyUkraine has experienced one of the deadliest attacks of the war after a Russian missile strike on the central city of Poltava hit a military training institute and a nearby hospital, killing at least 51 people and injuring more than 200 others.The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in a video address that, according to preliminary information, two ballistic missiles had partially destroyed" one of the buildings of the Poltava Military Institute of Communications, leaving people under the rubble. Continue reading...

First salvage expedition in years captures more than 2m high-resolution images of 1912 shipwreckA bronze statue from the Titanic - not seen in decades and feared to be lost for good - is among the discoveries made by the company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years.RMS Titanic Inc, a Georgia-based company that holds the legal rights to the 112-year-old wreck, has completed its first trip since 2010 and released images from the expedition on Monday. The pictures show a site that continues to change more than a century later. Continue reading...

Pregnant woman among those killed in horrifying' incident as charities call on government to establish safe routesSix children and a pregnant woman are among at least 12 people who died after a boat carrying dozens of asylum seekers to the UK was ripped open" in one of the worst Channel tragedies since the small boats crisis began.In a major test for Keir Starmer's government, which is facing demands from charities to open up safe routes for those wanting to come to the UK, the French authorities said that 10 of those who had lost their lives were female and many are believed to be from Eritrea. Continue reading...

Increased coastline security and restriction of viable routes is only pushing asylum seekers to take riskier journeysThe grimly familiar sight of body bags being unloaded from search and rescue boats was witnessed again by the reporters on the shores of Northern France on Tuesday. And again, ministers from both the UK and French governments expressed their horror at another mass drowning of people trying to reach the UK.The charities that work closely with asylum seekers say thatthe policies of both governments may be inadvertently increasing the number of deaths of people seeking safety in the UK. Continue reading...

Authoritarian president moves up holiday celebrations yet again to apparently distract from political crisisWhatever happened to Christmas?" Frank Sinatra once asked. In Venezuela, the answer is that it has been brought forward to October.The country's strongman president, Nicolas Maduro, made the curious announcement that this year's festivities would begin in October on Monday, in the midst of a political bleak midwinter for his crisis-stricken land. Continue reading...

Caroline Darian overwhelmed as details are revealed during trial of father, Dominique Pelicot, and 50 other menHarrowing details have emerged at the trial of a French man charged with enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his drugged wife, with their daughter temporarily leaving the courtroom as she became overwhelmed by emotion.The case against Dominique Pelicot, 71, has horrified France after the allegations were only exposed by chance when he was caught filming up women's skirts in a supermarket. Continue reading...

Department store chain aims to build 215 homes as part of push to diversify beyond retailThe owner of John Lewis has submitted plans for the 80m development of 215 rental flats on the site of its unused Reading distribution centre - a tenth of which will be affordable.The John Lewis Partnership (JLP), which owns Waitrose supermarkets as well as its eponymous department stores, said the site would feature two garden spaces, including one for children, and shared communal spaces for fitness, home working and socialising. Continue reading...

Surrey police opened investigation after man, 31, found dead alongside three sonsThe mother of three young boys found dead in a house in Surrey has paid tribute to her sons who were full of life and happiness".On Saturday, police discovered the bodies of Dominik, three, Nikodem, two, and Kacper Swiderski, also two, with their father, Piotr Swiderski, 31, at a property in Staines-upon-Thames at about 1.15pm. Continue reading...

Provisional PSNI figures show 409 additional incidents in last 12 months compared with year beforeRace hate crimes in Northern Ireland have risen by a third in the last 12 months, according to provisional police figures.The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) operational statistics show 409 additional incidents were reported between September 2023 and September 2024 compared with the previous 12 months. Continue reading...

180 more people have been wounded after two ballistic missiles hit Ukrainian city, says president Volodymyr ZelenskiyA Moscow court sentenced a prominent physicist to 15 years in a penal colony on Tuesday after finding him guilty of treason" - the latest prison term for a scientist accused of sharing state secrets.Several high-profile scientists have been arrested in recent years, with at least three detained since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022. Continue reading...

Israel's justice ministry cautiously optimistic' court will decide against issuing warrants, Haaretz reportsJulian Borger is the Guardian's world affairs editorThe mass protests in Tel Aviv over the past two nights, and the smaller ones every Saturday night for the past few months, have been almost entirely about a deal with Hamas so that Israeli hostages are freed and come home. Continue reading...

Engagement of 21-year-old Nomcebo Zuma to King Mswati III confirmed at the annual Umhlanga reed danceA daughter of the former South African president Jacob Zuma is engaged to the king of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, with the 21-year-old confirmed as the monarch's fiancee during a traditional ceremony in which she was among hundreds of women and girls dancing for him.Nomcebo Zuma appeared on Monday night at the annual reed dance as the liphovela - the royal fiancee or concubine - and will become King Mswati III's 16th wife. Continue reading...

Sentencing of Alexander Shiplyuk is latest prison term for scientists working on military programmes

Netanyahu has made control of the strip between Gaza and Egypt a condition in ceasefire negotiations

Sailors enjoy meat pie and dry land after being saved following 19-hour ordealThe two people rescued from a yacht off Sydney's coast have said they are very glad to be back on dry land and were treated to a meat pie and cup of coffee after spending 19 hours clinging to their stricken yacht.But one of the pair - 48-year-old Lisa - has said she will be back out on the ocean as soon as Thursday. Continue reading...

Lawyer for Linda Reynolds tells defamation trial Credlin was told completely rework wherever you see fit'

Tributes paid to writer, actor and presenter, who also worked on Chorlton and the Wheelies and The Wind in the WillowsThe Danger Mouse writer Brian Trueman has died aged 92, his representative confirmed to the PA news agency.His son Jonathan Trueman announced the death of his father in a Facebook post, saying said he died in Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport on Sunday night after a short illness". Continue reading...

Pontiff lands in Jakarta before travelling on to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore over 12 daysPope Francis arrived in Muslim-majority Indonesia on Tuesday to kick off a four-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific that will be the longest and farthest of the 87-year-old's papacy.The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics touched down in the capital, Jakarta, for a three-day visit devoted to inter-religious ties, and will then travel to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore. Continue reading...

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Criticism of decision comes from across political spectrum, with some saying ban does not go far enoughThe decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel was facing a growing backlash from all sides, with Boris Johnson accusing Labour of abandoning Israel and asking if it wanted Hamas to win the war in Gaza.The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the decision sent the wrong message at the wrong time, while on the left there was growing anger at the loophole that would allow the UK to continue to supply parts to the F-35 fighter jet programme. Continue reading...

Committee will be appointed for 10 months and the NSW Liberals have until next Thursday to comply

The Oasis frontman will front campaign alongside DJ Peggy Gou, actor Russell Tovey and skateboarder Sage ElsesserBarely a week after ending a bitter feud with his brother, Liam Gallagher is going solo yet again.Oasis fans need not panic, however. The frontman has been announced as the new face of the fashion brand Stone Island, fronting its autumn and winter campaign. Continue reading...

Employee was found lying across two chairs with blanket covering them after working 10 night shifts in 12 days

The six-bedroom Wave House in Malibu was designed by Harry Gesner, whose son says it inspired Jorn Utzon's Sydney landmark

Pair saved by maritime police and HMAS Canberra off Nowra but abandoned yacht could end up in New Zealand with authorities prioritising saving lives not boats'

LSE report suggests chancellor should downgrade projects such as Lower Thames Crossing in favour of servicesSpending extra cash on mental health services would boost economic growth and improve the nation's wellbeing more than building new roads, according to an academic analysis.The report from the London School of Economics (LSE) argues that a rethink is needed inside Whitehall about how to approach spending decisions, with more focus on how the money actually improves people's lives, particularly in terms of wellbeing. Continue reading...

Victoria may see more severe weather warnings for wind later in the week, while emergency services continue to battle bushfires during Queensland heatwave

Band's keyboardist says he initially ignored symptoms until his devastating' lymphoma diagnosis, but the prognosis is amazing'The Cure keyboardist Roger O'Donnell has revealed he has been diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of lymphoma".The musician shared his diagnosis on social media in time with Blood Cancer Awareness Month, which falls in September, a year after he was first diagnosed. Continue reading...

Edmundo Gonzalez, widely believed to have beaten President Nicolas Maduro in the election, faces arrest for alleged crimes carrying long sentences if convictedA Venezuelan judge on Monday issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo Gonzalez, the opposition politician widely believed to have beaten President Nicolas Maduro in the recent election, for alleged crimes that could see him spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.Gonzalez, a 75-year-old retired diplomat, was catapulted into the eye of Venezuela's political storm earlier this year when he agreed to challenge Maduro in the 28 July presidential election in the place of the banned opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Continue reading...

Charity says people should aim to limit their intake of salt, which contributes to high blood pressurePeople in the UK are being urged to eat less ham, bacon and cheese in order to reduce their salt intake and in turn their risk of having a heart attack or stroke.Eating foods high in salt contributes to high blood pressure, which is the country's biggest cause of avoidable death. Up to 4 million Britons may have undiagnosed high blood pressure, the charity Blood Pressure UK said. Continue reading...

Survey says refugee women are subjected to voyeurism and sexual harassment by male staff at hotelsWomen who have fled rape, forced marriage and sexual exploitation are being subjected to coercion and control by Home Office contractors in hotels, according to new research.The charity Women for Refugee Women has carried out the first research specifically focusing on the experiences of women in Home Office asylum seeker hotels. The researchers include seven women who have previously lived in such accommodation. Continue reading...

Sales of clothing and gardening products also leap but furniture and household appliances continue slideWarmer weather lifted retail sales growth in the UK last month as shoppers grabbed grub for picnics and barbecues and kitted out their wardrobes with new outfits.The turnaround was driven by food and the total amount spent in shops rose 2.9% in the three months to the end of August, up from 2.6% reported the month before. Continue reading...

Far-reaching reforms aim to support most vulnerable children and recognise growing challenges facing education'Schools in England will be judged on how well they deal with post-Covid behaviour, absenteeism and special educational needs as part of far-reaching reforms to Ofsted aimed at better supporting the most vulnerable children and easing pressure on headteachers.Following the government's announcement that Ofsted's single-word overall judgments are to be scrapped with immediate effect, the chief inspector of schools in England, Sir Martyn Oliver, insisted the revised inspection model, based on a report card, would continue to hold schools to account and effectively inform parents. Continue reading...

Comments follow criticism from Joe Biden and protests against his handling of war and efforts to free hostagesBenjamin Netanyahu has defied protests at home and criticism from Joe Biden by vowing that Israel would not relinquish control over a strategic corridor along the Gaza-Egyptian border.In a combative press conference, the Israeli prime minister presented control of the Philadelphi corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt as a primary war aim, entrenching a position that has emerged as a key obstacle to a ceasefire deal. Continue reading...

Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly both reject idea of leaving European Court of Human Rights to revive Rwanda planTwo frontrunners to be Conservative party leader have criticised their rivals' promises to leave the European court of human rights (ECHR) as the contest turns combative with days to go until the first MP is eliminated.Kemi Badenoch, the shadow communities secretary, and James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, both rejected the idea of leaving the ECHR on Monday despite calls from some of their colleagues to do so. Continue reading...

Foreign Office says review found clear risk' UK arms may be used in violation of humanitarian lawThe UK has broken with the Biden administration on a significant part of their tightly coordinated policy towards Israel by announcing it is suspending some arms export licences to Israel because of a clear risk" they may be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.The Foreign Office said a two-month internal review had raised concerns about the way Israel had conducted itself in the conflict in Gaza and that the decision specifically related to concerns around the treatment of Palestinian detainees and the supply of aid to Gaza. Continue reading...

Move is apparent escalation of pressure on Venezuelan leader over heavily contested claim of victory in July pollUS authorities have seized Nicolas Maduro's plane in an apparent escalation of pressure on the Venezuelan president, more than a month after his widely contested claim of victory in the country's national elections.US authorities confirmed on Monday they had seized Maduro's jet in the Dominican Republic after determining it was allegedly purchased in violation of US sanctions. The plane, described by US officials as Venezuela's equivalent to Air Force One, has been flown to Fort Lauderdale in Florida.Additional reporting Tom Phillips Continue reading...

PM says it's unacceptable' when asked about Jas Athwal allegations but adds MP is taking action to put it right'Keir Starmer has criticised a Labour MP who has been accused of renting out flats with black mould and ant infestations, calling the conditions unacceptable".The prime minister addressed the accusations against Jas Athwal, the MP for Ilford South, on Monday after a report by the BBC quoted several of his tenants complaining about the conditions in the properties they rented from him. One said there were ants everywhere", adding: They are on my kid's body and on their clothes." Continue reading...

PM says he will not take lectures from previous government as Kemi Badenoch launches Tory leadership campaignKemi Badenoch is speaking now. She says she wants to talk about the future.She was born in the UK, but grew up under socialism", she says (referring to her childhood in Nigeria).Labour have no ideas. At best, they are announcing things we have already done, and at their worst, they are clueless, irresponsible and dishonest.They are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the public about the state of Britain's finances, placing political donors into civil service jobs, pretending that they have no plans to cut pensioner benefits before the election and then doing exactly that to cover the cost of pay rises for the unions with no promise of reform, But their model of spend, spend, spend is broken, and they don't know what to do, and this will only lead to even more cynicism in politics. Continue reading...

Dominique Pelicot, 71, being tried with 50 other men over alleged abuse of woman for years at couple's Provence homeA husband who allegedly drugged his wife and invited more than 80 strangers to rape her at their home for almost a decade went on trial on Monday in a case that has shocked France.Fifty men accused of taking part in the abuse of the woman are also on trial at the court in Avignon. More than a dozen feminists dressed in black protested outside the courthouse as the trial opened. Continue reading...