Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers

• World leaders are gathering in Évian for the G7 summit to address critical global issues, including potential tariffs and ongoing wars. • Key agenda items include the precarious status of the Iran peace deal and the integration of AI industry titans into diplomatic discussions.

Relations at lowest ebb in years after Washington refused to apologise for deaths in strait of HormuzMiddle East crisis – live updatesFury has continued to mount in India over US refusal to apologise for the deaths of Indian sailors killed in strikes in the strait of Hormuz, further straining relations between the two countries as their leaders meet at the G7 summit in France this week.Last week, three Indian seafarers, who were working on board commercial oil tankers, were killed when the US launched missile strikes on the vessel as it sailed through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

Liberal MP says Australia risks sovereignty and strategic independence being ‘constrained by the AI superpowers reshaping the global order’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal Andrew Hastie says Australia should dramatically scale up investment in artificial intelligence to preserve strategic independence and warns the country risks being “a supplicant state” tethered to the US in an era of possible hot conflict with China.In a major address to Liberal members in Sydney on Monday night, the shadow minister for industry and sovereign capability likened the development of AI to the nuclear arms race of the cold-war era and proposed Australia position itself as a technology hub in the southern hemisphere. Continue reading...

Heatwave conditions build over much of continent, while mild start to winter continues in parts of AustraliaHot weather is expected across Europe this week as heatwave conditions build over large swathes of the continent.A mass of hot air from the Sahara has settled over the Iberian peninsula and spread into southern and western France, pushing temperatures widely into the low- and mid-30s celsius. Continue reading...

UK billionaire’s fashion group offers £166m for takeover of 77.1% of shares in shoe firm it does not already ownBusiness live – latest updatesThe retail billionaire Mike Ashley has launched his second takeover bid in a week, attempting to snap up Australian footwear business Accent Group, days after announcing a tilt at Hugo Boss.Ashley’s Frasers Group, which already owns the biggest single stake in Accent at 22.9%, said it will offer 65 Australian cents (34p) a share for the remainder of the business, at the same level as its closing price on Friday. Continue reading...

G7 leaders to meet in Évian-les-Bains in France later today to discuss the most pressing issues, including Ukraine, Gaza, and IranKyiv monastery set on fire in night of Russian attacks across UkraineMacron frames Évian G7 agenda in hope Trump will stay for whole summitThe G7 summit host, France’s president Emmanuel Macron, also condemned the attack on the Unesco-listed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery.In a post on X, he said that “nothing justifies this attack on our universal heritage.”“France stands ready to cooperate with the Ukrainian authorities in charge of heritage. This attack only strengthens our determination to do everything, with our allies and partners, to work toward a ceasefire that Russia continues to obstinately refuse, and then toward peace. We will strive for this at the G7 in Evian.”“the French president has no idea if Trump, a haphazard summit attender, will last the full three days – or disrupt the proceedings every hour he stays.” Continue reading...

Prime minister flags an announcement following deliberations of cabinet’s expenditure review committeeAnthony Albanese has signalled the federal government is open to extending the temporary cut to the fuel excise to help cushion motorists from a months-long tail to the Middle East conflict.The prime minister also welcomed the announcement of a peace deal between the US and Iran to end the war and reopen the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

Academic says laptops have ‘completely overtaken’ traditional note-taking and research other states should ‘absolutely’ follow the state’s leadFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian secondary school students will spend less time on screens and more time using pen and paper under a national-first plan to limit classroom device use to two hours a day.The Victorian government on Monday announced that all state secondary schools will be required to incorporate planned device-free learning time in their teaching programs from term 1, 2027. This could include “using whiteboards or paper, group debates, practical experiments or performances instead”, the government said. Continue reading...

UK prime minister says move will bring ‘real change for our children’ amid growing concerns over harmful online contentAccess to social media will be banned in the UK for users under 16, Keir Starmer has announced, in what he described as “real change for our children and our future”.“Social media is making children unhappy, it’s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them, and it could even be harming their mental health,” he said, setting out plans briefed over the weekend, which will go further than a pioneering ban in Australia. Continue reading...

Family of Sydney mum Leah Stewart say they are ‘shocked’ and reveal more surgeries scheduled in coming daysThe woman injured in Saturday’s shark attack at Coogee beach has had her arm amputated and remains in a critical condition, her family has revealed.Leah Stewart, a 35-year-old schoolteacher, mother and dedicated ocean swimmer, was attacked by a suspected 3.5-metre great white shark at about 11am on Saturday. Authorities have said she was swimming between the flags and “doing everything right” at the time of the attack. Continue reading...

Stacey Warnecke, 30, died from a treatable complication after giving birth without any trained medical staff, an inquest hearsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Melbourne wellness influencer was found lying on the floor of her home in an altered state of consciousness beside a large blood clot in the hours before she died in hospital, an inquest has heard.Stacey Warnecke, 30, died in September from a treatable complication after giving birth at home to her son Axel without any trained medical staff, the inquest which began on Monday into her death heard. Continue reading...

Australian billionaire says investment reflects her confidence in world’s first trillionaire after his record-breaking IPOFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGina Rinehart’s company has made a “significant investment” in Elon Musk’s SpaceX and said it hopes to collaborate on AI infrastructure.Hancock Prospecting secured shares as SpaceX began trading on sharemarkets on Friday, Rinehart said in a statement today. The figure, which Rinehart did not confirm, is reportedly at least $1.4bn. Continue reading...