Woman, 45, killed in Florence in seventh alleged femicide in Italy since mid-August

• The news — Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has unveiled ‘RAKSHA’, a strategic roadmap designed to make defence diplomacy a more structured component of India's international engagement. • The number — The roadmap outlines a strategic focus spanning the next decade to enhance global partnerships and maritime security.

• The news — Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the 'RAKSHA' document in New Delhi, establishing a strategic framework for India's global defence diplomacy. • The number — The comprehensive roadmap outlines India's vision for international defence partnerships over the next 10 years.

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report confirming that the El Niño phenomenon is now firmly established. • The WMO warns that the event will intensify into a "very strong" phase over the coming months.

Bank of England governor says central bankers must explain decisions or risk being seen as ‘unrepresentative elite’The governor of the Bank of England has said the rise of populist politicians presents a serious challenge to independent central banks.As Nigel Farage’s Reform UK gathered for its annual conference in Birmingham, Andrew Bailey said central bankers must be prepared to explain their decisions to the public or risk being attacked as an “unrepresentative elite”. Continue reading...

Comedian and his wife, Cerys Morgan, set up charitable foundation in memory of Felix, who died shortly after birthRussell Howard has announced the death of his baby son, in what he described as the “most devastating time of our lives”.The 46-year-old comedian said his family had been “changed for ever” after their “beautiful baby boy”, Felix, died shortly after birth. Continue reading...

Footage provokes outrage, as bellicose and performative far-right politics continue to spread across AmericasColombia’s hardline president, Abelardo De La Espriella, has provoked outrage after posting a video on social media in which he strides through rows of white body bags that he says contained the corpses of 23 “neutralised” guerrillas.De La Espriella took power last month vowing “all-out war” against illegal armed groups and he published the footage on Thursday in an apparent attempt to show he was fulfilling that pledge. Continue reading...

Film-maker acclaimed for his celebrations of Roma culture had been working on a ‘historical film project’ in ProvenceTony Gatlif, the French director of more than 20 films that mostly concentrated on celebrating Roma culture across the world, has died aged 77.His family said in a statement to AFP that Gatlif died on Wednesday of “a health issue” while working on a “historical film project” in Arles in Provence, France. “The beauty of his films, his generosity, his joy, his poetry, and his love of music will remain with us forever.” Continue reading...

Five jailed after targeting victim and subjecting him to ordeal linked to past relationship breakdownDramatic footage shows a kidnapped man jumping from a first floor window into a tree before running into the street and, by chance, coming across a police car.Lincolnshire police said the ordeal of the unnamed man had been “horrifying” and the presence of a marked police vehicle “may have saved his life”. Continue reading...

Family-run Al-Qarara Seed Bank is striving to help Palestinians gain sovereignty over their food securitySalama Ayesh Muhanna still remembers the first seeds he planted on his family’s land in al-Qarara, Gaza. At just 17, Muhanna had proudly sprouted cucumbers.“I was very happy because I saw the results,” Muhanna says. “We were farmers at heart.” Continue reading...

Senator releases letters from armed forces after reports of location data being used to track US troops in Middle EastUS military officials say they have disabled advertising trackers on a range of phones and computers, according to letters released on Friday by the US senator Ron Wyden and ⁠statements given to Reuters.The development follows reports ​that commercially available location data had been used to target American forces in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Nick Park began modelling the character as a feline, before finding it too difficult and changing him to a dogThe creator of Wallace and Gromit has revealed that the world’s most famous stop-motion animated dog was nearly a cat.As Aardman Animations marks its 50th anniversary, Nick Park, who joined the studio in 1985, told the BBC he originally modelled Gromit as a feline companion for Wallace. Continue reading...