G7 summit focuses on climate change and extremism

Climate change and terrorism are top of the agenda on the second day of the G7 summit of economic powers in Germany. The summit is being held at the Schloss Elmau hotel in Kruen in the Bavarian Alps.

The first working session on Monday focused on climate and energy, with Chancellor Merkel trying to get leaders to agree to keeping temperature rises within 2C of pre-industrial levels.

The talks, hosted by Ms Merkel, were attended by leaders of the US, UK, Japan, France, Canada and Italy.

According to the BBC, Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she wants the group to reach an agreement on limiting global temperature rises. She is also calling on the G7 members to contribute to a fund for poor countries suffering the worst consequences of climate change.

She added that there are also talks on the threat from radical extremism with the leaders of Nigeria, Tunisia and Iraq.

She is hoping to secure commitments from her G7 guests on tackling global warming to build momentum before a major United Nations climate summit in Paris in December.

G7 leaders were also joined by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi to discuss the threat posed by groups like Islamic State (IS) and Boko Haram.

On Sunday, Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK was sending an extra 125 military trainers to Iraq to help in the battle against IS, describing the militants as "the biggest threat" G7 leaders had to address.

IS continues to control large swathes of Iraq and Syria despite being the target of a US-led air campaign against them.

In Nigeria, a similar regional battle is being fought against Boko Haram militants who have carried out attacks since 2009 to try to create an Islamic state.

US and German leaders push for maintaining sanctions against Russia

Yesterday, the US and German leaders said that sanctions on Russia must stay until it implements a deal to end fighting in Ukraine.

Moscow is the target of European Union and US sanctions over its role in support of Ukrainian rebels and Russia has been excluded from what was previously known as the G8, since the annexation of Crimea last year.

The West accuses Russia of sending military forces into eastern Ukraine to help the rebels - a charge echoed by analysts. Moscow denies this, saying any Russian soldiers there are volunteers.

As he arrived in the Bavarian Alps, Obama said G7 leaders would discuss "standing up to Russian aggression" in Ukraine.

Germany, Britain and the US want an agreement to offer support to any EU member state tempted to withdraw backing for the sanctions on Moscow, which are hurting the Russian economy.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks and in the latest incident, two Ukrainian coastguards were injured when a blast ripped through their patrol boat in the port of Mariupol, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.

The European Union's President of the Council of Ministers, Donald Tusk, signalled a toughening of sanctions in a statement at the G7.