Rome heatwave squat standoff tests Meloni government

Hundreds of people have spent a week sleeping in tents in the Rome heat amid a standoff between Giorgia Meloni's far-right government and local politicians over the future of Italy's most high-profile centre, according to the Guardian. The Spin Time building, which provides homes, food banks and after-school clubs, has been locked out by the authorities, leaving residents without shelter as the fourth heatwave of the summer intensifies.

The standoff comes as Italy places all 27 of its major cities under the highest heat alert, with temperatures in some areas edging close to 40C, the Guardian reported. The red alert covers cities from Trieste in the north to Palermo in the south, a measure that highlights the strain on vulnerable populations during the summer's extreme weather.