Australia news LIVE: Hastie leadership threat looms for Ley, opposition under pressure to dump net zero; Medieval tower collapses in Rome, trapping worker underneath rubble

Firefighters worked to rescue a worker trapped for hours beneath the rubble of a medieval tower that partially collapsed while under renovation in the heart of Italy’s capital on Monday, critically injuring another worker.

Rescue teams faced a complex task as the structure continued to give way as they tried to get near the trapped worker through a first-floor window, forcing their retreat on telescopic aerial ladders in a cloud of smoke.

As dusk approached, firefighters lifted on a crane used giant tubes to suck rubble out of the second-floor window.

Three workers were rescued unharmed after the initial midday collapse, said firefighter spokesperson Luca Cari. Italian media reported that another worker, age 64, was hospitalised in critical condition, but there was no immediate update on his condition. No firefighters were injured in the ongoing operation.

Rome’s top law enforcement official, Prefect Lamberto Giannini, said there were “signs of life” from the trapped worker, and that firefighters had managed to give him some protective cover during an earlier rescue attempt.

The Torre dei Conti was built in the 13th century by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his family. The tower was damaged in a 1349 earthquake and suffered subsequent collapses in the 17th century.

AP

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is facing increasing pressure to drop the Liberal Party’s pledge to net zero as she fights to hold the Coalition together and fight off looming threats to her leadership.

Top conservative members of Ley’s leadership team – led by Angus Taylor, Michaelia Cash and James Paterson – shifted their stance on the 2050 pledge after a dramatic few days in which the Nationals cast the target aside and Ley was hit with record-low polling.

The Nationals’ move convinced senior Liberals, including some of Ley’s backers, to dump the net zero target, as this masthead first reported on Monday.

In a crisis meeting on Monday morning, Ley’s top lieutenants in the right faction argued the net zero tagline had become too toxic to retain in any form, according to sources familiar with the talks not authorised to speak publicly. Only one of the eight party leaders, moderate leader Anne Ruston, advocated for keeping net zero.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

A grim Newspoll published in The Australian on Monday showed the Coalition primary vote at a record low of 24 per cent and sparked private conversations about the leadership prospects of her deputy, Ted O’Brien, and right-wing challengers Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie.

Taylor would be most likely to take over if Ley’s position became unsustainable this year, according to sources in both factions.

Hastie is viewed as a more likely contender if there was a leadership challenge next year after he has spent some time developing his support base and policy agenda. Sources close to Hastie not authorised to speak publicly said that despite wanting to spend more time with family, he was increasingly determined to run for the leadership as early as next year.

Good morning and welcome to our national news live blog for Tuesday, November 4. I’m Emily Kaine, and I’ll be helming our coverage throughout the first part of the day. Here’s what is making headlines this morning.

• Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is facing increasing pressure to drop the Liberal Party’s pledge to net zero as she fights to hold the Coalition together and fight off looming threats to her leadership. Top conservative members of Ley’s leadership team – led by Angus Taylor, Michaelia Cash and James Paterson – shifted their stance on the 2050 pledge after a dramatic few days in which the Nationals cast the target aside and Ley was hit with record-low polling.
• A medieval tower in Rome partially collapsed while under renovation on Monday, trapping one worker underneath the rubble for hours and critically injuring another. Three workers were rescued unharmed after the initial midday collapse, while Italian media reported that another worker, age 64, was hospitalised in critical condition, but there was no immediate update on his condition.
• The Melbourne Cup will be held today at Flemington Racecourse. Despite a rainy day forecast for Melbourne, the program will kick off with the first race at 10.45am, and the Melbourne Cup at 3pm. Follow along with The Age’s live coverage of race day here.