A devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake has hit southern Japan, leaving at least two people dead inside a collapsed shopping mall, with 50 injured and several more trapped.

The earthquake struck the Kumamoto prefecture on the southern Kyushu island on Tuesday afternoon triggering an immediate tsunami warning, which was later lifted.

The prefectural `government said early on Wednesday that rescuers working at the scene overnight had taken eight people out of the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping centre, where the blast occurred following the quake.

Of those eight, two women in their 20s were confirmed dead, while one other person was reported to be in cardiopulmonary arrest. The five others were injured, but officials said their condition was not life-threatening.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said: “We have already been informed that people have been injured. Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings.

“I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location.”

Around 300,000 people have been instructed to go to evacuation centres, and hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to help with rescue operations as aftershocks continued to rumble in the area, on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu.

Residents in the areas that felt the biggest tremors must be on alert for further strong quakes for about a week, as well as for the risk of landslides, an official for the Japan Meteorological Agency said. About 100 small aftershocks have hit Kumamoto already since the initial jolt, JMA said.

In the aftermath of the quake, the largest shopping mall in the area was rocked by an explosion, as local media said around 20 to 30 workers were unaccounted for and multiple people were trapped inside.

Local news outlets also quoted police saying several had died or were presumed to have perished in the incident.

One side of the mall, which houses around 200 stores, was torn away, exposing steel beams and strewing debris across a vast parking lot, footage showed.

Several ambulances and fire engines were parked outside, as rescue teams searched for survivors. A spokesperson for mall operator Aeon said customers and employees were ​evacuated right after ⁠the initial quake and that the exact cause of the ensuing explosion ‌was unclear.

Authorities are investigating a possible gas explosion, broadcaster NTV reported.

Kazuya Tsurunaga told TBS he was stunned by the blast while cleaning up dishes broken by the earthquake inside a pub about 300 metres from the Aeon mall.

“It was a huge impact,” he said. “A large cloud of smoke billowed up, and because the wind happened to be blowing and the wind direction was ‌towards the shop, the area around us was in a state like volcanic ash was falling.”

Multiple people were also unaccounted for after a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory, broadcaster NHK reported, while two hospitals were each reported to be treating more than 50 people, some in serious condition. Several passengers aboard high-speed trains at the time of the quake were also injured, operators said.

Authorities said they were responding to multiple incidents where buildings had partially collapsed or had caught fire. One person died in one such collapse in a town near the epicentre, TV Asahi reported.

Some roads were also badly damaged, with large cracks splintering major highways, snarling traffic. Rail services were suspended and flights grounded.

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, Sony and Fujifilm evacuated workers from their plants following the quake. TSMC said in a statement late Tuesday that its site was unaffected and operations were gradually resuming.

Located along the “Ring of Fire” of volcanoes ‌and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20 per cent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or more.

With thousands of homes still without power as night ​fell, authorities warned residents about the risk of heatstroke as temperatures were set to hit 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday.

Tracy Shaw said that she’s ‘never been as grateful to be alive on a birthday’ as she turned 53 on Monday and shared sweet family snaps amid her breast cancer battle.

The Coronation Street actress was diagnosed with the disease in April after finding a lump in her breast and has been in treatment since. 

For her birthday this week she was joined by her brother Karl and son Luca, 19, as they all posed in beaming snaps together on Instagram.

She penned in her post: ’53,& grateful. Visit from my brother #mrshaw, karl shaw. Luca just back from Truck festival, preparing for next weekends festival.

‘Thankyou # _lisa_ Dawson for the the most amazing gifts, from a breast cancer survivor who just knows what to buy. Never been as grateful to be alive on a birthday.

‘Looking forward to next years celebration.’

Just last week Tracy fought back tears as she revealed her breast cancer is currently inoperable until her tumours shrink in size. 

For her birthday this week she was joined by her brother Karl and son Luca, 19, as they all posed in beaming snaps together on Instagram

She posted the devastating update to Instagram last Thursday.

Tracy shared the video after going for an ultrasound to check on her current condition, sharing her hopes that chemotherapy would have shrunk the lumps.

However, during the teary clip, Tracy explained that while the lumps have changed shape from round to oval, they haven’t got any smaller. 

Speaking to the camera, she said: ‘Good morning, everyone. So as I told you all, I had my ultrasounds today to find out if the lesions had shrunk.

‘I also needed to check a lump that I’d found on the other breast, which is on the right breast.

‘The good news is that the lump, well there’s actually quite a lot, are all cysts, so that’s good news and the lesions on my left breast… erm…’

Tracy continued: ‘Well, my expectations were that judging by what personally I’ve gone through and what the chemo does…

‘I thought they’d shrunk but basically they’ve gone from being circular to oval but not really shrunk in size. I don’t know what I was expecting.

‘I think I’m just expecting some results of what I’ve felt, some results of what the body has had to go through to!’

In May, Tracy broke down in tears in an emotional video as she revealed to her followers she was set to begin chemotherapy.

Tracy was diagnosed with the disease the month before and shared in her video that she would be starting chemotherapy the following week.

She penned in her post: ‘Never been as grateful to be alive on a birthday. Looking forward to next years celebration’

Just last week Tracy fought back tears as she revealed her breast cancer is currently inoperable until her tumours shrink in size 

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Tracy is best known for playing Coronation Street character Maxine Peacock

In a video posted on Instagram, Tracy shared the toll her cancer diagnosis has had on her, admitting ‘I can’t go through this anymore.’  

She previously played Maxine Peacock on Corrie from 1995 to 2003, before she was sensationally murdered by serial killer Richard Hillman.

In the video, Tracy said: ‘I’m just going to be me, and my truth is… by the way, I’ve not shaved my hair off, I’ve just put a scarf on just because I’ve not done anything with it and I’m going to hospital.

‘Each morning I wake up and know that I have to go into hospital and receive more news, which has been going on for a long time, that unknown… I just think, ‘I can’t go through with this anymore’, but I’ve not even started my journey.

‘I’ve had a good cry. I’ll go in later today and I’ll meet some other ladies who will start the treatment with me – chemo.

‘And I’ll find out the date. 50 per cent of me wants to get going. I want to know that it’s being shrunk and the cancer is being dealt with.

‘When I wake up and I’ve got really bad headaches or I can feel another twinge in my other boob, I just think, ‘Oh, it’s moving!’

‘All forms of cancer are awful, most of the time, I get on with life but then I think that’s probably what we do.

‘But the fact is when you wake up in the morning and you think, ‘It hasn’t gone away’. It isn’t like the addictions that I’ve recovered from by the grace of God. There appears to be a long road ahead, or a mountain.’

In the caption of her post, Tracy revealed she’d been told she would start her chemotherapy ‘next week’.

She wrote: ‘Moments happen. After filming this, I spent the morning in the chemo ward having tests.

‘Thank you for all NHS staff. No other women, mostly men, cancer doesn’t discriminate gender.

‘We will start our chemo journeys at the same time. Next week. Love & peace to everyone on their cancer journey.’

Days after posting the clip, Tracy revealed she’d had much of her hair cut off to prepare herself for one of chemotherapy’s most common side effects, hair loss.

Tracy played her character Maxine from 1995 as the friend of Fiona Middleton, played by Angela Griffin.

Her character went on to betray her friend by having a one-night stand with Fiona’s boyfriend, Steve McDonald.

Tracy was awarded the Rear of Year title a year after making her debut on the show.

Maxine married butcher Ashley Peacock, played by Steven Arnold.

She also had a child with the local doctor, despite being married to Ashley.

Maxine died when she was viciously murdered by Richard. She was hit by a crowbar after she returned home from the pub.

Tracy also launched a pop career in 1998 and released two singles: Ridin’ High and a cover of Lonnie Gordon’s Happenin’ All Over Again.

After she left the soap, she played smaller roles in ITV dramas. She has spent most of her time in the theatre.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?

What is breast cancer?

It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.

When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called ‘invasive’. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.

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Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.

Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.

The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.

What causes breast cancer?

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A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply ‘out of control’.

Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid-filled cysts, which are benign. 

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The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

• Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammogram, a special X-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
• Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.

If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.

How is breast cancer treated?

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Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.

• Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
• Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
• Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
• Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.

How successful is treatment?

The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.

The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000

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Croda International reported a pre-tax profit of £107.4 million for the six months to June 30, up 25.6 per cent from £85.5 million for the same period last year.

The company, based at Cowick Hall, Snaith, also saw improved EBITDA of £207.9 million and free cash flow of £38.3 million, up from £28 million, supported by lower capital expenditure.

The positive performance was largely driven by strong growth in the Consumer Care division, with year-on-year revenue increases reflecting success in the group’s transformation programme.

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Steve Foots, chief executive officer of Croda International, said: “We have delivered a good first half performance in line with our expectations with strong growth in Consumer Care.

“Group profits continue to grow ahead of sales, reflecting both increased customer demand for innovation and the benefits of our transformation programme.

“We are rigorously executing our plan to grow earnings and returns, successfully reinvigorating beauty and seeing the early benefits of rebalancing pharma.

“Despite the ongoing macro uncertainty, our outlook for full year 2026 is unchanged and we remain on track to deliver our financial framework for full year 2028.”

The group has recorded organic sales growth of 4.6 per cent, led by an eight per cent rise in the Consumer Care segment. Within this division, Beauty Actives grew by 19 per cent, Home Care by nine per cent, and Fragrances & Flavours by eight per cent.

Adjusted operating margins improved to 17.7 per cent, supported by a 6.1 per cent rise in adjusted operating profit to £155.8 million.

The company also reported a 36.8 per cent increase in free cash flow and a reduction in capital expenditure.

Croda’s three-year transformation plan continues to deliver results, including £18 million of incremental savings in the first half of 2026.

These are part of a broader target to achieve around £100 million in efficiency benefits and £50 million in working capital improvements by 2028.

The company’s full-year outlook for 2026 remains unchanged, despite ongoing geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds.

Croda expects group organic sales growth within its target range of three to six per cent, a further rise in adjusted operating margin, and continued profitability improvements in both Consumer Care and Life Sciences divisions.

The company will provide an update on third-quarter sales performance on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Jennifer Lopez is savoring the last few months with her children before becoming an empty nester.

The pop star, 57, and her twin children, Max and Oskar (formerly Emme), ages 18, enjoyed a getaway to Rome, an extra-special trip now that the youngsters are both college-bound.

Smiling and taking photos of her children, the pop sensation was just like any other mother enjoying a summer vacation with her teenagers on Monday – but with security present. 

From the Colosseum to the fresh gelato, the trio made plenty of memories that will no doubt last them a lifetime. 

Indeed, Lopez ensured she would never forget the moment as she stopped her children to take a photo of them. 

The beaming A-lister snapped a photo on her phone as her children stood beside one another, posing for their mother.

Lopez, as usual, was styled to perfection for the visit.

She wore a satin mini dress that displayed her flawless legs, trekked about in metallic flip-flops, gold jewelry, and added a vintage touch with a scarf tied around her head.

Her kids opted for more casual looks, with Oskar donning jeans and a button-down while Max sported a white T-shirt and shorts. 

Ever the teenagers, the duo were tuned into their earbuds for certain stops of their walk. 

Technological distractions aside, the trio were clearly having a good time as they explored the ancient sites over gelato with their security detail close by. 

It wasn’t all just historical sites – with Lopez also indulging in a bit of shopping at Brunello Cucinelli and Antonio Marras. 

It’s been a celebratory few months for Lopez’s family after the twins graduated from high school several months ago.  

The event also marked a milestone for Oskar. 

The A-lister was just like any other parent taking photos of her children

Oskar and Lopez tuck into gelato as they explore the sites in the Italian capital

The trio stride down the ancient walkways 

They are joined by security for their explorations

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A university program viewed by the Daily Mail revealed that Lopez’s child, formerly known as Emme, now goes by Oskar Muniz and goes by ‘he.’ 

In 2022, Lopez went viral after she introduced Oskar – then Emme – onstage as ‘they’, indicating a nonbinary identification. 

Max and Oskar are the children of Lopez and Marc Anthony, the Grammy-winning singer the actress was married to for ten years. 

Lopez has been candid about the twins leaving for college and becoming an empty-nester inside her $18 million Hidden Hills mansion.

‘It’s an emotional time. It’s been the three of us,’ she said during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

Both of her children wear headphones, which they plug in at various points during the visit

Lopez wows in a satin mini dress with metallic flip-flops and a head scarf

Max and Oskar are the children of Lopez and Marc Anthony, the Grammy-winning singer the actress was married to for ten years

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‘People have come in and out of my life, but it’s been the three of us. They’ve always been there, and I’ve always been there.’

The singer continued, ‘I just never thought they would not be there. I just never thought that far ahead.’

And while stopping by Jimmy Kimmel Live! in May, the star also admitted to being emotional over her twins’ milestone.

‘Tomorrow, one of them graduates. Don’t talk about it because we start crying. I’ve been crying for two months.’

Oskar is glued to his phone at one point during the adventure

The family trio visit the historic Spanish steps

Lopez looks sensational as she flashes her legs in the city

She also admitted to having a hard time penning messages to her children in their yearbooks. ‘When I tell you, the tears… two days it took me to write those things.’

Meanwhile, Lopez is also single again following her 2024 divorce from Ben Affleck.  

The songstress has been vocal about embracing her single era.

Back in March, during an interview with Juju Chang on Nightline, Lopez was asked if she was in a hurry to meet someone new.

‘No! No I’m not! God forbid, I don’t want to ruin anything!’ she revealed. ‘It’s so nice right now! I’m so happy! It’s the best. I just feel really good right now.

‘And that was a scary thing for me when I was younger. I didn’t know if I could do that. I was always really afraid to be alone.’

The star looks stylish as she goes shopping in Italy 

Security is present throughout Lopez’s trip

Lopez was also seen exploring Taormina, Italy earlier this month

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The singer also discussed her relationship status during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! last month in June.

At one point during the interview, Kimmel asked the On The Floor hitmaker, ‘You’re single right now?’

‘I am!’ she confirmed with a cheerful smile as the audience erupted into supportive cheers and applause.

‘I should have done it sooner,’ Lopez further expressed to the host. ‘I’ve been doing it all wrong. I’ve been doing it all wrong, trust me.’

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Police have launched an appeal to find a woman they wish to speak to after a dog mauled two small children at a playground.

The kids, aged six and 11, sustained bitemarks to their legs and thighs, and were rushed to hospital for treatment after the dog rounded on them as they were playing on a playground on Vernon Street, near Newfoundpool, Leicester, on April 19 when they were injured.

Leicestershire Police have since released CCTV images in a bid to track down a woman they want to speak to, launching a public appeal in their attempt to identify a woman who they believe could help with their investigation.

A spokesperson for the force said: “Enquiries have been ongoing since the incident was reported to us and we hope the public can help us move the investigation on.

“We know the images are not the best quality, but we hope someone will recognise the woman or the dog.

“If this is you or you have any suspicions about who the woman may be, we would urge you to get in touch.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact PC 4630 Samuel Senior on 101, quoting crime number 26*224111.

The new research and development centre will be located at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus

Pharmaceutical company GSK will shut its main research and development hub in Stevenage and open a new flagship site in Cambridge amid aims to slash costs by £1.9 billion to fund investment plans. GSK has said the new 300,000sq ft centre in Cambridge will house more than 1,000 scientists, with a phased move for staff by 2029.

The group said some staff currently based at Stevenage, where around 1,800 people work currently, will also move to its nearby Ware site, which is set to be upgraded.

GSK is hoping all Stevenage workers will relocate to either Cambridge or Ware. The group is spending £400 million over the next three years on the changes.

It revealed in half-year results that annual costs are set to be cut by £1.9 billion over the next three years to fund the investment, ramp up R&D, and help offset the hit when one of its key HIV treatments – dolutegravir – comes off its patent. It is understood there will be some roles affected, such as in support services, but GSK did not confirm numbers.

Luke Miels, chief executive at GSK, said: “To fund investment in the late-stage portfolio and R&D, we are starting a three-year cost savings programme to simplify the organisation and to reallocate capital and resources. Savings will primarily be reinvested, with some used to improve margins and profitability in the dolutegravir patent expiry period.”

The new R&D centre is being developed by Prologis and is within the wider Cambridge Biomedical Campus – one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The move will place GSK close to AstraZeneca’s major R&D site at the campus.

The new centre will be located at Discovery Drive on the biomedical campus. It is planned across three interconnected buildings. Work has begun on the first of these, a second has full planning permission, and a third recently received planning committee approval, subject to formal planning permission.

Andrew Blevins, SVP, Life Sciences, Prologis, said: “GSK’s decision is a powerful endorsement of Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the unique ecosystem that has been created here. Prologis invested ahead of demand at Discovery Drive because we believed global life-sciences organisations would continue to choose Cambridge.

“Having the right specialist infrastructure available allows companies to establish world-class facilities more quickly and strengthens the UK’s ability to compete for internationally significant life-sciences investment.”

Prologis said it is working in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council to deliver the third and fourth phases of the project, with potential to create a further 2.4 million sq ft of life-sciences space. This represents an additional investment ambition of $4 billion (£3 billion) over the next two decades.

Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “Cambridge Biomedical Campus has become one of Europe’s leading centres for life sciences because it brings together pioneering research, outstanding healthcare and ambitious businesses in one place. GSK’s expanded presence is another vote of confidence in our region and demonstrates the continued appeal of Cambridgeshire as a place where global organisations choose to innovate and grow.”

For some families, rising childcare costs mean leaving an older child at home for a few hours may seem like the only practical option.

Others may wonder whether a teenager can safely look after younger brothers or sisters while they’re at work.

But where does the law stand?

According to the NSPCC, concerns about children being left home alone rise sharply during the summer holidays. More than 1,200 adults contacted the charity about children being left unsupervised during last year’s July and August break, prompting fresh reminders for parents to think carefully before making childcare decisions.

Family law specialist Anna-Laura Lock, Partner at Rayden Solicitors, says there is no simple legal age at which children can be left alone.

Is there a legal age to leave a child home alone?

Many parents assume the law sets a minimum age, but it’s more complicated than that.

“There is no legal time limit or minimum age in England and Wales for leaving a child home alone,” says Anna-Laura.

“Instead, the law focuses on whether a child is left in circumstances that place them at risk of harm.

“That said, parents should proceed with caution. There is a clear difference between being left alone during the day or in the evening – with a parent due to return to the family home the same day – and being left without an adult overnight and for longer periods.”

She says parents should consider factors such as their child’s age, maturity, confidence, ability to deal with emergencies and, most importantly, whether they feel comfortable being left alone.

“While NSPCC guidance suggests children under 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for long periods, and babies and young children should never be left alone, this is guidance rather than legal rules,” she adds.

“The law deliberately leaves room for parental judgment, but that also means parents carry the responsibility if that judgment is found to have put their child at risk.

“In reality, the consequences of that judgment call being wrong can be serious. Instead of basing their decision on the child reaching a certain age, parents should focus on whether it is safe and appropriate for that particular child. The key takeaway is that it not a decision that should be taken lightly and without significant planning and preparation to ensure that the child in question is not exposed to ‘unnecessary suffering or injury to health’.”

In other words, the decision should be based on the individual child rather than their age alone, taking into account factors such as maturity, confidence, how long they will be left and whether they could cope in an emergency.

Can older children babysit younger brothers or sisters?

Another common question during the school holidays is whether an older child can supervise younger siblings.

There is no separate legal minimum age for babysitting in England and Wales. Instead, the same legal principles apply as when deciding whether to leave a child home alone.

Parents remain responsible for ensuring any childcare arrangements are safe. They should consider the ages and needs of all the children involved, whether the older child is mature enough to cope with the responsibility, how long they will be left and whether they could deal with an emergency.

If those arrangements place children at risk of harm, parents could still face safeguarding action or, in the most serious cases, criminal prosecution.

When could social services become involved?

Safeguarding concerns can be raised by neighbours, relatives, teachers, healthcare professionals or anyone else who believes a child has been left in unsafe circumstances.

Anna-Laura says: “Social services are most likely to become involved when a safeguarding concern is raised by someone who is worried about a child’s welfare. This could be a neighbour, relative, teacher, healthcare professional or another person who believes a child has been left alone in circumstances that place them at risk.

“Each case is assessed on its individual facts. Local authorities will consider factors including the child’s age and level of maturity, how long they were left unsupervised, and whether they had access to food, a phone and trusted adults. They will also consider whether this was an isolated incident or part of a wider pattern of neglect.

“Where professionals conclude that a child has been exposed to a significant risk of harm or that their basic needs are not being met, social services may carry out further safeguarding enquiries and may ultimately make interventions to protect the welfare of a child.

“In the most serious cases, parents could also face criminal prosecution.”

What if you’re separated from your child’s other parent?

The issue can become particularly sensitive for separated families if one parent disagrees with the other’s childcare arrangements.

Where both parents have parental responsibility, decisions about a child’s welfare should be made in the child’s best interests. If one parent believes the other is regularly leaving a child unsupervised in unsafe circumstances, the issue could become part of wider discussions about child arrangements and, in some cases, family court proceedings.

“Leaving children home alone can become a significant source of disagreement between separated parents, particularly where communication is already strained,” says Anna-Laura.

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“It is not uncommon for one parent to object to the other leaving a child home alone, especially if they believe they could have cared for the child instead.

“Where parents share parental responsibility, decisions affecting a child’s welfare should always be made with the child’s best interests at the forefront.

“If one parent regularly leaves a child unsupervised and the other believes this places them at risk, it may become an issue in wider discussions about child arrangements and, in some cases, could result in family court proceedings.

“Rather than viewing the issue through the lens of convenience, separated parents should work together wherever possible to place their child at the forefront of their decision making and ensure suitable childcare arrangements are in place.

“Doing so not only reduces the risk of legal consequences but, more importantly, provides children with the supervision, support and reassurance they need during the school holidays.”

With many families trying to balance work and childcare over the summer break, experts say parents should avoid relying on age alone when deciding whether a child is ready to stay at home.

Every child develops differently, and ultimately parents remain legally responsible for ensuring they are safe.

Video captured by a bystander shows the moment 16-year-old rookie lifeguard Ryder Williams rescued a 10-year-old boy from the ocean at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, California.

The child had been swept about 15 yards offshore when Williams reached him, with several beachgoers also joining the rescue. The operation lasted just over two minutes.

President Donald Trump has since invited Williams to the White House to receive a high civilian honour.

President Donald Trump has held separate meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which the White House described as “positive and productive”.

The two leaders were in Washington to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Israel and advocate for US aid to Ukraine, who died earlier this month.

Zelensky and Trump discussed Kyiv’s hope that the US would help bolster its air defences, although no formal commitment has so far been announced.

Netanyahu, for his part, arrived at a time when the US-Israel ties have been frayed by diverging views on Iran.

Ahead of the visit, Zelensky was expected to press Trump to follow through on a promise he made at this month’s Nato summit to grant Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.

Ukraine has long sought American Patriot missiles, which Kyiv says could be used to defend Ukrainian cities from escalating Russian drone and ballistic missile attacks across the country.

But the closed-door meeting ended without any firm announcement over US military assistance to Ukraine.

In a post on X, Zelensky thanked Trump for “everything we do together to protect the lives of Ukrainians”.

Zelensky added that the two discussed the Patriot licences and “several ideas that could help”.

“We also spoke about diplomacy,” he wrote. “It’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated.”

In a separate post, Zelensky said he also met representatives of US defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin to discuss “further development of our cooperation”.

“Ukraine has a lot to share with those who help us protect lives,” he added. “We spoke about our joint capabilities related to Patriots and other systems. Our teams are already working on specific solutions to move to co-production as quickly as possible and increase our capabilities to protect lives.”

Zelensky was also planning to meet a bipartisan group of Senators who are moving forward with legislation to sanction buyers of Russian oil and gas to punish Moscow for the war in Ukraine.