G7 summit begins in Italy

A two day G7 summit began in Sicily’s picturesque town of Taormina, Italy at 09:30 GMT. The summit comes just days after Monday's deadly bombing in Manchester in which 22 people - including children - were killed.

The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. The EU also has representatives.

The summit will focus on issues surrounding security and growth. A tough debate is expected on issues including trade and climate change.

Those participating in the Taormina summit include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, along with the Prime Ministers of Italy, Japan and the UK, Paolo Gentiloni, Shinzo Abe and Theresa May respectively.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk will be representing the European Union at the summit.

After the opening ceremony, the leaders will pose for a G7 family photo.

The agenda of the first day includes three working sessions that will start around midday and focus on foreign policy, international security, economy and sustainable development.

In the evening, the leaders will attend a concert at the theatre by Milan's La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra and then dine with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Timeo hotel.

The seaside town of Taormina, located between the Ionian coast and the Etna volcano, has been in lockdown for the summit and security has been beefed up massively with almost 10,000 military personnel on the streets.