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Rome city guideRome holidaysMalcolm Burgess, publisher of the City-Lit series, selects his favourite reads about the eternal city, from I, Claudius to the Rome of Fellini and beyond As featured in our Rome city guideRobert Graves, I, Claudius, 1934Claudius unforgettably describes his imperial predecessors, famous and infamous, in Robert Graves's glorious evocation of decadent Ancient Rome. "Sometimes (Caligula) was Apollo and sometimes Mercury and sometimes Pluto (…) But most of the time he was Jove: he wore an olive-wreath, a beard of fine gold wires, and a bright blue silk cloak, and carried a jagged piece of electrum in his hand to represent lightning.

Australian book reviewsFictionReviewThe Miles Franklin-winning author returns to fiction with a deftly woven domestic drama that explores one woman’s state of mind in midlife Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email In the novels of highly decorated Australian author Alex Miller, the discovery of a journal or letter will often spark an unexpected, life-affirming journey. The two-time Miles Franklin award winner is a master of capturing that pivotal moment, when the tides that push our lives here or there, change.

Alec Baldwin This article is more than 2 years oldAlec Baldwin was pointing gun at camera when it went off, director saysThis article is more than 2 years oldJoel Souza says actor was practising a scene at time of accidental shooting of Halyna Hutchins Alec Baldwin was practising a scene that involved him pointing a gun “towards the camera lens” when it accidentally went off, killing his director of photography, according to a written statement by the film’s director.

Alys Fowler's gardening columnGardensAlys Fowler: Tree spinachWant to control tree spinach? Eat it!The best planting combos are almost always accidents and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise: those happy self-seeders that make it all look so effortless or the plant you forgot that makes a stunning pairing. Thus one of the most pleasing corners in my garden has bronze fennel, the neon-pink of Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus, flowering sprouts (a cross between a brussels sprout and kale) and tree spinach, Chenopodium giganteum 'Magenta Spreen'.

Pickard of the popsDevendra BanhartDevendra Banhart - CarmensitaThis week, Anna boggles at the Bollywood-inspired video from everyone's favourite Venezuelan-American singer-songwriterAh, young love. It is not so often that a music video provides us with the chance to watch real love blossoming live on screen. And so we turn our eyes to Devendra Banhart and his story of good, evil, snakes, love, jealousy and rebellious beards. It is called Carmensita. You can tell that because it says it in big writing on a brightly coloured screen.

‘A serious caffeine kick’: Tom Hunt’s spent coffee ground kombucha. Photograph: Tom Hunt/The Guardian‘A serious caffeine kick’: Tom Hunt’s spent coffee ground kombucha. Photograph: Tom Hunt/The GuardianWaste notCoffeeIf only the world’s annual 10bn kilos of used coffee grounds were used for fertiliser, leathers, skin-care products and even bio-fuel. Or this addictive kombucha … “No problem,” Mabel said as she handed me a huge bag of used coffee grounds. “Last week, someone came in asking me for some to make a plant-based leather.

New York This article is more than 14 years oldNew York gives homeless people a one-way ticket to leave cityThis article is more than 14 years oldFamilies given travel costs to tackle problem of overcrowded shelters and save taxpayers' moneyNew York has found a novel, if expensive, way of dealing with its overcrowded shelters – buying one-way tickets for homeless families to leave the city. Under the initiative, by the administration of the mayor, Michael Bloomberg, hundreds of families have been given plane, rail, and bus tickets and even petrol vouchers to leave the city.

Russia Russian stars' semi-naked party sparks wartime backlash – video report An 'almost naked' party at a Moscow nightclub, held while Russia is engaged in a war with Ukraine and authorities are pushing an increasingly conservative social agenda, has provoked an unusually swift and powerful backlash from the authorities, pro-Kremlin lawmakers and bloggers, state media, and Orthodox Church groups. The scandal has been dominating the headlines for days, displacing stories about rising egg prices and inflation, at a time when Putin has doubled down on social conservatism, urging families to have eight or more children, and after Russia's supreme court ruled that LGBT activists should be designated as 'extremists'

Top 20sSpa breaksSpas aren't just the preserve of posh hotels. All these springs are open to the public and though some are simple pools in fields, others architectural marvels, all offer water heated by nature alone1 Landmannalaugar, IcelandThe milky waters of the Blue Lagoon are an iconic image of Iceland, but for something less crowded and more natural, make for Landmannalaugar (landmannalaugar.info) in the centre of the island. It's inaccessible in winter, but by summer the road is clear and hikers arrive to soothe their muscles with a quick dip in the geothermal waters that feed into local brooks.