Now you see her, now you don't.

The face of Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni that was painted on a cherub in a church in Rome has been removed following outrage and an investigation by the country's cultural ministry.

Meloni's likeness appeared on the body of an angel following restoration works at the Chapel of the Holy Souls of Purgatory in the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina, in central Rome.

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Although completed late last year, the issue came to light at the weekend when before and after photos posted on social media showed that the original angel's face had been replaced with an image that looked like the prime minister.

At first the volunteer restorer, Bruno Valentinetti, denied the claims, saying that he'd copied the original images from drawings.

But on Wednesday, he told La Repubblica newspaper that it was indeed the prime minister. However, he insisted that it was similar to the original artwork, the paper reported.

Valentinetti was tasked with smudging out his work, which has left a ghost-like white blob on the angel's body.

"I covered it up because the Vatican told me to," he told La Repubblica.

The Vatican has not weighed in publicly on the controversy.

The culture ministry, which ordered an investigation earlier this week, put out a statement on Wednesday about the removal of the image, saying that works in churches in Rome had to be pre-approved with drawings for proposed changes.

"In light of the removal of the face from the decoration in the chapel of the crucifix of San Lorenzo in Lucina, in agreement with the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, the Special Superintendent of Rome, Daniela Porro, has informed the rector of the Basilica that any restoration work requires a request for authorisation from the Ministry of the Interior's Fund for Places of Worship, which owns the property, the Vicariate, and the Special Superintendency of Rome, attaching a sketch of the image," the ministry wrote in a statement posted on its website.

Hundreds of visitors have visited the chapel in recent days to take photos of the image, the parish priest Father Daniele Micheletti said.

"I've always said that if it had created divisions, I would have had it removed," he told Sky Italia.

"From a regulatory standpoint, the painting could have remained there for a hundred years, but it has created too many divisions in the church."

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New polling tonight has exposed rising worker anxiety about the expanding use of artificial intelligence, as both the federal and state governments push to regulate the emerging technology

The Redbridge poll published by Unions NSW today shows 29 per cent of workers report being monitored by AI.

Another 24 per cent say AI is doing their rosters and 38 per cent think the risks of AI outweigh the benefits.

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The vast majority of those polled – 69 per cent – support tougher rules.

It's something both the federal government and NSW state government are both trying to push through.

Under new powers that have already passed the NSW parliament lower house, unions will be able to demand access to a business' AI software.

"They're entitled to ask, if it's not provided by an employer, then a court determines it," NSW Premier Chris Minns said in parliament today.

But businesses are warning the changes would give unions "spy powers" to sift through the emails of every company, cafe and corner store in the state.

Bran Black from the Business Council of Australia warned it would give unions personal data employees might not want them to have access to.

"It is dangerous in the context of the access that it affords to union officials," Black told 9News.

"To personal data, to emails, to HR systems, to payroll systems, to confidential information."

Businesses fear it would over-regulate AI and scare off investors, as well as delaying major housing and infrastructure projects. The laws are expected to pass through the upper house next week.

'Specific AI tax' for reskilling

The federal government has the first phase of an AI plan but everyone in Parliament House acknowledges the plan will need to change as the technology changes, and that will require a new level of agility.

"As we look to greater take up of AI in the workplace, that needs to be worked through with workers and unions," Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said.

While AI promises increased productivity, it will also bring disruption, lay-offs and the need for reskilling or retraining.

"What we know is, if AI is done the right way and workers are involved you get much better outcomes," Australian Council of Trade Unions president Michele O'Neil told 9News.

The Albanese government has made fee-free TAFE a cornerstone of two campaigns – hoping to address the skills shortage in technology and AI sectors – as governments around the world weigh up what's next.

Tech pioneer Bill Gates says from the victor should come the spoils.

"You might have a specific AI tax to raise money from the winners to support the losers," Gates told Nine's Charles Croucher this week.

The unions say all options should be considered.

"They need to pay for the intellectual property they're sometimes stealing," O'Neil said.

"But they also should pay for the training, and pay for the jobs they're creating."

Black said we haven't yet seen the "significant disruption as a consequence of artificial intelligence in the work place", in terms of jobs.

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Politicians faced relatively peaceful protests and persistent heckles in annual visit.

Hospital staff and paramedics "robbed" a 15-year-old boy of his best chance at survival by failing to intervene earlier after he suffered an allergic reaction, his grieving parents say.

Melbourne teen Max McKenzie died in August 2021 after suffering a cardiac arrest and an acute brain injury following his admission to hospital for an anaphylactic shock.

He was allergic to peanuts and tree nuts when he ate apple crumble at his grandmother's house.

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Neither Max nor his grandmother were aware the dessert contained nuts and he suffered an anaphylactic reaction soon after.

He told his mother he felt sick, and administered an EpiPen and ventolin as he also suffered from asthma, before his father Ben – an emergency physician – called an ambulance.

Max's condition deteriorated rapidly in the hours after and, while being loaded into an ambulance, he expressed concerns he was going to die.

He died in hospital on August 19 after scans found he had suffered an acute brain injury.

Victorian Coroner David Ryan held an inquest into Max's death and the interventions given to him in the lead-up and today found several steps were missed by medical professionals.

This included by paramedics, who failed to give him adrenaline at the earliest opportunity, and medical staff at Eastern Health's Box Hill Hospital, who did not intubate him soon enough.

Earlier and more adrenaline, and quicker establishment of an airway via intubation upon arrival at hospital, "would have given him the best opportunity for survival", the coroner said.

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"However, I am not satisfied that his death was preventable as a result of the treatment by paramedics and clinicians on that day," he said.

"It may have been, but I am not able to be comfortably satisfied that it was preventable."

Ryan said the circumstances were "rare and incredibly challenging" for all medical professionals.

He found a graduate paramedic should have driven the ambulance with lights and sirens to hospital, allowing her instructor and an intensive care paramedic to care for Max in the back.

The coroner recommended Ambulance Victoria review its guidelines for the treatment of patients with asthma and anaphylaxis, to ensure consistency in administration of adrenaline.

He also recommended graduate paramedics undergo emergency driving training before they hit the road, to ensure more experienced workers were in the back treating the patient.

Outside the court, Max's parents expressed their concern over missed opportunities to save their son's life.

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"It's been four-and-a-half years to get to these coronial findings, it's been a long journey," Dr McKenzie said.

"While not every aspect or concern we have about Max's care was able to be addressed today, the coroner found that Max should've got more adrenaline from Ambulance Victoria and he should've been intubated on arrival at Eastern Health Hospital.

"Those two things didn't happen, and they robbed Max of his best chance of survival.

"Max should not have died."

Dr McKenzie gave CPR to his son after he was taken to hospital on August 6, which he said should never have happened.

"I should never have had the opportunity to participate in Max's resuscitation because it should have been done before I got there and I think the coroner has highlighted that today," he said.

Max's mother said the hospital told them their care of the 15-year-old was "best practice and today the coroner has told us it wasn't", as she asked for a "heartfelt apology" from Eastern Health.

"Max was let down in so many ways, at so many points in time, and the coroner has found two points where Max's care was not appropriate and not OK," she said.

Ambulance Victoria and Eastern Health have been contacted for a response.

Police traced the offending after a tip-off led to a search of his home.

The bikes, worth a combined $4000, were stolen in Christchurch last weekend.

The federal government has praised the resilience of Australian writer Yang Jun, who has been detained in China since 2019, on an alarming anniversary.

The pro-democracy activist has been in jail for seven years on espionage charges and today marks two years since he was given a suspended death sentence by a court in Beijing.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong offered her thoughts to him and his family.

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"Today marks two years since Australian citizen, Dr Yang Jun, received a suspended death sentence in Beijing," she said today.

"Dr Yang has demonstrated remarkable resilience and fortitude in the face of great challenges for the past seven years of his detention.

"Today our thoughts are with Dr Yang and his loved ones. We want to see him reunited with his family."

Yang was detained in January 2019 on espionage charges after arriving in Guangzhou from New York.

He has maintained his innocence.

He was tried behind closed doors two years later, but a verdict was delayed until February 5, 2024, when he was given a suspended death sentence.

The federal government understands the sentence could be dropped to life in jail following two years of good behaviour. 

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There may also be an appeal process he is able to pursue.

But Yang's family and supporters grew concerned when he revealed he is suffering from a large cyst on his kidney.

They fear he could die in prison without adequate medical care. 

Australia's relationship with China has improved after the lifting of trade sanctions, diplomatic visits and the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei from detention in 2023. 

Wong said the federal government was continuing to advocate for Yang at every occasion.

"The Australian government has made clear to China that we remain appalled by Dr Yang's suspended death sentence," she said.

"Dr Yang is entitled to basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment, in accordance with international norms and China's legal obligations.

"We advocate consistently for Dr Yang's welfare and conditions."

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Flags have been flown at half-mast at the former school of a Melbourne skier who passed away on the slopes in Japan.

Michael Hurst, 27, was skiing in the back country of Niseko, on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, with several friends when he died of a suspected heart attack on Tuesday.

Hurst, who grew up in Melbourne's Bayside area, was remembered by his Mentone school St Bede's College, where flags were flown at half-mast today in his honour.

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"Michael served our community with distinction as college captain in 2016," principal Deb Frizza said.

"As a faith community, we unite in prayer, commending Michael to the loving mercy of God and praying for comfort, strength, and peace for his family during this time of profound grief.

"We also hold in our prayers our colleagues and community members who knew, taught, and were close to Michael."

According to a translation of a local media report, Hurst went missing while skiing with a group of friends between Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort and Niseko Annupuri International Ski Resort in Niseko, Hokkaido.

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Police joined the search and found him being given CPR by a group of four.

Emergency services rushed the man, who had no visible injuries, to hospital where he later died.

According to his LinkedIn profile, the town planner was taking a "career break" in Japan over the 2025-26 ski season, where he was working at a ski resort.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said authorities were providing consular assistance to the family.

"We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Hurst was the second Australian to die on the slopes in Japan in just a matter of days, after 22-year-old Sunshine Coast woman Brooke Day was killed in a ski lift accident at a resort near Hakuba.

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Drunk and stoned, Nathan Paul McKeown forgot where he had parked his ute containing his "best friend", Arnie the German shepherd.

McKeown, 43, told his wife the car had been stolen, launching a massive police search and a national appeal for information.

More than a week later, seven-year-old Arnie was found dead inside McKeown's ute after a neighbour complained about the smell.

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Months after appearing on TV and radio asking for help to find Arnie, McKeown was spared jail after his "snowball" of lies.

McKeown ran from media into a police station before entering nearby Cleveland Magistrates Court, south-east of Brisbane, under police escort today.

Security had searched the court building for explosive devices due to the volume of death threats McKeown had received since his arrest.

He pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully killing his dog as well as obstructing police by leading them on a fruitless search for his ute.

McKeown's national TV appeals for information sparked Arnie sightings and a social media campaign that amassed millions of views.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta told McKeown he had been "public enemy No.1" after his arrest.

"Members of the public felt betrayed, they felt you perhaps manipulated or exploited their emotions for your own benefit," she said.

"I take into account public condemnation and much of it is justified."

Defence solicitor Patrick Quinn said his client had received "vile" death threats via social media.

"They call for his death, his gassing, for him to be beaten. He has essentially been in hiding," he said.

McKeown's offending was unusual and extreme, the police prosecutor said.

"He left Arnie in the car with no food, water or ventilation," the prosecutor said.

McKeown also pleaded guilty to unlicensed driving and driving under the influence.

The prosecutor said McKeown was captured on CCTV letting Arnie out of the ute to go to the toilet on the evening of November 7 in inner Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.

"McKeown appeared heavily affected by alcohol. He was unsteady," the prosecutor said.

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Vasta heard McKeown did not return and instead visited several venues, bars, service stations and fast food outlets until the early hours of November 8.

McKeown could not remember where he parked and told his wife his ute had been stolen, which she reported to police.

"On a large scale he misdirected police and the public to find the ute. He persisted with the false narrative in national media," the prosecutor said.

The amount of police resources wasted in the search and chasing sightings of Arnie was large, Vasta heard.

A resident smelled a foul odour coming from McKeown's utility on November 17 and police found Arnie in an advanced state of decomposition.

McKeown should not face prison time as he had no prior criminal record, had checked in to drug and alcohol rehabilitation and was deeply remorseful, Vasta heard.

"It's a perfect example of the cover-up being worse than the original offences," Quinn said.

McKeown had owned and trained Arnie since he was a nine-week-old puppy and took the dog with him everywhere, Vasta heard.

"It was a classic snowball that got bigger and bigger…and you didn't have the guts," Vasta said.

"Your actions killed your dog. Your best friend."

Vasta told McKeown he would have been jailed if he had deliberately killed Arnie.

Instead he received the maximum 240 hours of community service and was disqualified from driving for eight months.

"Your past is going to travel with you when people google you. I'm not going to record conviction. That would make things worse."

McKeown declined to comment as he left court.

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US television host Savannah Guthrie has posted a message to her mother's kidnapper, asking them to provide proof that she is alive.

Authorities believe 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was taken from her Tucson-area home in Arizona on Saturday night and are investigating what appears to be ransom notes sent to the media.

In a social media post today, Guthrie said her family is "ready to talk" to the kidnappers.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/DUW3mpqD8qd/

"We, too, have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media," the Today anchor said alongside her siblings.

"However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated.

"We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her.

"We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us." 

The three siblings pledged to do everything they could to get their mother back, who, Guthrie added, is fragile, lives in constant pain and needs medication to survive. 

"Everyone is looking for you, mummy, everywhere," she said.

"We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again.

"We love you, mum. Stay strong."

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At least three different media outlets, TMZ and CNN Tucson affiliates KOLD and KGUN, report receiving ransom notes earlier this week demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin for Nancy's safe return.

According to the outlets, the notes also described specific evidence in her home.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the notes are legitimate but are investigating.

"We are taking all tips and leads very seriously," the Pima County Sheriff's Department said.

"Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are co-ordinating with the FBI."

Authorities are also trying to piece together the timeline of Nancy's disappearance.

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Nancy had dinner with family members who took her back to her one-storey home, where she lives alone, in Tucson about 9.30pm on Saturday.

She is believed to have been taken just 15 minutes later. 

Her pacemaker last sent a signal to her iPhone, which was left at the home, about 2am on Sunday. 

Nancy was uncharacteristically absent from church later that same morning, causing a friend to call her family who discovered she was not at home.

Samples and evidence have been collected from the home but authorities have not identified any suspect or person of interest.

"Our mum is our heart and our home," Guthrie said. 

– With CNN

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