Once considered a major forum for shaping the global agenda, the Group of Seven is facing mounting questions about its relevance and effectiveness.

This year's G7 leaders' summit, hosted by Canada's PM Mark Carney in Alberta, had a "carefully planned agenda", said the BBC. But the programme was "upended" by the escalating war between Israel and Iran and the early departure of Donald Trump.

'G1 and clients'
There was "precedent" for Trump's early exit – he also "bailed" on the summit in 2018 – but that he views dialogue with his country's closest allies as a "disposable engagement" is "revealing", said Rafael Behr in The Guardian. His "America First" doctrine is one that "cannot conceive of mutual obligation between nations": there can be no G7, "only the G1 and clients".

Divisions were also evident on the issue of Ukraine. Despite hopes "of finding wording that was palatable to all G7 leaders", the summit ended without a joint declaration supporting Kyiv, said Politico. A Canadian official told the news site that Trump "would not agree to strong language against Russia". The US leader even questioned the decision to exclude Moscow from the group following the invasion of Crimea in 2014.

'Fractured forum'
The summit did have some successes: Trump agreed with Keir Starmer to implement the US-UK trade pact that they reached last month, and also held a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, "raising hopes that they can avoid a burst of new transatlantic tariffs next month", said the Financial Times. Still, "it's really not the unified front one might expect in the face of serious global challenges".

The G7's influence may appear to have "diminished" but it has a long history of "achieving consensus on previously divisive issues", said the Council on Foreign Relations. The remaining leaders "forged on" with discussions yesterday, despite Trump's absence, said Bloomberg. They issued a series of statements on areas from AI and critical minerals to wildfires and immigration. But, ultimately, the summit "exposed how fractured the forum has become", with Trump leaving his counterparts to "wonder what his next move will be".

As sea temperatures continue to rise, unfamiliar species are set to make the UK's waters their home. Such a dramatic change to marine life could have negative knock-on effects, with some native species likely to struggle to adapt.

What kinds of marine life could appear?
There have already been recordings of new types of sharks, octopuses, jellyfish and rays recently appearing in UK waters as sea temperatures rise and provide hospitable living conditions and access to prey.

These species could all boom as conditions change, as could some more static marine life, such as native oysters, according to researchers at the UK's Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, who analysed how 19 threatened marine species could respond to climate change. Among the "biggest winners" are "native oysters, basking sharks, spurdog sharks, and thornbacks", said the BBC.

How much is the environment changing?
Sea temperatures have been hotter than usual in recent weeks due to the extended surge in heat in the UK during spring. Some areas have been recorded as much as four degrees warmer this year, with potentially negative implications for marine life, the longer it goes on.

What are the possible consequences?
There is no conclusive evidence as to how sustained higher temperatures will affect marine life, but it might disturb current breeding patterns and bring other species like jellyfish en masse into UK waters, as well as harmful algae.

It could signal an immediate gain for British fishermen as more fish and other species like octopus arrive in the warmer seas, but that could also bring with it more predators. It's not even "unreasonable to think" that great white sharks could start to pop up off UK shores, with "plenty of potential prey" in seals and sea lions and "suitable water temperatures", said Discover Wildlife.

There will also likely be a closer look at how humans interact with the changing wildlife. Earlier this month, Police Scotland appealed for information after a speedboat "deliberately disturbed" a pod of orcas on the Moray Coast. Orcas are not uncommon in the summer months around the coast of Scotland, said The Press and Journal, but they have been "spotted earlier and later" than usual in recent years.

"Welcome to the era of the book club podcast," said Emily Watkins in The i Paper. The formula is straightforward: the host chooses a book to talk about and audiences "tune in at their leisure" to listen.

Fuelled by the rise of #booktok and high-profile reading fans such as Dua Lipa, book clubs – both on and offline – are "more popular than ever". And the nature of podcasts means audiences can either read the title before listening or "dip into an episode" about a book they haven't read.

NPR's Book of the Day
This snappy 15-minute podcast is "great for discovering new books to add to your reading list", said Town & Country. The daily show is filled with all the latest news about the most exciting releases and has fascinating interviews with a diverse array of writers.

The Book Club Review
Hosts Laura Potter and Kate Slotover (who both worked in publishing) discuss – and occasionally "rip to shreds" – one of the latest reads from their in-person club, said Watkins. It is a "no-nonsense" podcast that "takes reading seriously – in a good way".

The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy
Broadcaster Ryan Tubridy is a "household name" in Ireland and his podcast is "quite Celtic accented", said Patricia Nicol in The Sunday Times, "but given the strength of Irish writing, so are many bookshelves". Guests are asked to share one book from their childhood, one that made them cry and one that changed their life. It makes for a great listen, partly because of the "clear format" and partly because Tubridy is such a "capably amiable presenter".

Dear Yvette Cooper, let the Casey review lead to justice – not the scapegoating of British Pakistani culture
Zara Mohammed in The Guardian
"Dear home secretary," writes Zara Mohammed, "I write to you as a British Muslim" to "express deep concern" about how the grooming gangs issue is being "misrepresented". In cities where British Pakistani communities are "more populous", the "disproportionate numbers of Asian men" among the suspects "may reflect local demographics, not cultural traits". We can only "strengthen safeguarding and rebuild trust" if we "stay grounded in evidence, not prejudice", because "racialised suspicion" leads "not to justice, but to division".

Trump deserves Nobel Peace Prize if he can nail this deal
David Williamson in the Daily Express
The "challenge and the dilemma" facing Donald Trump in the Middle East is "gargantuan", writes David Williamson. The "only country" he's "interested in rebuilding is his own" because "his supporters want him to revive America's manufacturing heartlands" and "will not be impressed" if he focuses on Iran. The "nightmare scenario" for Trump is "getting dragged into a unwinnable war" that "spills" across borders. But if he secures peace, the president will "deserve" the Nobel Prize that he's long "coveted".

Banning screens for under threes? Good idea
Harriet Walker in The Times
"Bring it on," writes Harriet Walker after a French minister called for a ban on screen use by toddlers. In my "enclave" of London, the sight of young children "scrolling, swiping or simply mesmerised by infinite slop when they could be looking around or (heaven forbid!) chatted to is ubiquitous". I "don't blame" parents for wanting some peace, but "half-formed" young brains "don't stand a chance" against apps that "reward time put in with yet more dopamine hits".