Emma

• European leaders are prioritizing "technological sovereignty" during the G7 summit and VivaTech conference in France to reduce the region's heavy reliance on American AI firms. • The discussions center on enhancing AI competitiveness and implementing strategic regulations to foster a more independent European tech landscape. • This push matters as Europe seeks to balance strict regulatory frameworks with the need to innovate and compete globally against US tech giants.

In today’s newsletter: An argument about money has also spotlighted questions about Britain’s place in the world and the changing face of warfareGood morning. What conflict has raged longer than the hundred years war? The fight between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury over defence spending.I’d love to claim this as my own, but avoid patter theft this early in the day. So I’ll credit my colleague Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian’s defence and security editor, who spoke to me ahead of this week’s G7 meeting, in France, where Keir Starmer arrived yesterday for what could be his final international summit. The prime minister can anticipate candid discussions about international partnerships in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, both of which may soon demand increased involvement from the British military.Middle East | Donald Trump has declared that the strait of Hormuz will be “completely open” from Friday, as western leaders gathering at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains battled to prevent the fragile US deal with Iran from almost immediately unravelling.UK politics | Political hatred and division in the UK is probably worse now than during the Brexit referendum, when Jo Cox was murdered, says Kim Leadbeater, Cox’s sister who is now also a Labour MP.Crime | A schoolteacher described as a “serial manipulator and a serial liar” has been found guilty of sexually abusing and murdering a baby he and his partner had adopted.Environment | Half of the world’s children are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards threatening their health, education and survival, according to a Unicef report.US news | Eight people are presumed dead after a B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday morning at a US air force base in California’s Mojave Desert, officials said. Continue reading...

Flood of tributes for Victorian athlete, who died while overseasFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLocal Australian athletics organisations have paid tribute to 2025 Stawell Gift finalist Jemma Stapleton, 25, who died while on holiday overseas with her family.The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, though an online fundraising page shared by her brother said she “tragically lost her life in an accident”. Continue reading...

• Approximately 25% of mid-sized firms across Europe are currently struggling to secure necessary financing to maintain or grow their operations. • This funding gap creates a significant hurdle for the business landscape, potentially stifling innovation and economic stability within the region. • The dilemma highlights a systemic disconnect between the capital needs of mid-market enterprises and the available lending options.

• Actor Emma Thompson has condemned the "ludicrous" lack of representation for older women in cinema following a study by the Age Without Limits campaign. • The research revealed a stark gender and age imbalance in hit films, finding that more movies star men named Chris than women over the age of 60. • Thompson argues that the input of older women is systematically minimized and marginalized across media, employment, and public life.

Diplomats poke fun at Donald Trump while Madonna loses her corset off the back of a golf buggyThe one upside to a rolling international crisis is that it can give backroom people a rare chance to shine. Witness, this week, the breakout stars of the Iranian diplomatic corps, who from two different diplomatic missoverions managed to poke fun at Donald Trump while maintaining the base-level decorum that so eludes the American president. Continue reading...

Merger will ‘prioritise the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good’, letter statesJoaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Mark Ruffalo, Yorgos Lanthimos and Kristen Stewart are among more than 1,000 film and TV industry professionals who have signed an open letter protesting against Paramount’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, the parent group that owns HBO, HBO Max, CNN, TBS and Food Network, as well as the Warner Bros TV and film studios.“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritise the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good,” states the letter, which was published on Monday on BlocktheMerger.com. Continue reading...