The French team will return to action for the first time this year to ensure a full fleet of 12 boats takes part in the Sydney leg of the SailGP series on Saturday and Sunday. France missed the first two legs of the series in Dubai in November and Auckland in January because of equipment problems and will compete in Sydney with a new F50 catamaran.

Australian Tom Slingsby is ready to deny New Zealand a chance at redemption when the trans-Tasman rivals hit the water for the Sydney SailGP.

A man described feeling “the shudders” as more than 100 venomous red-bellied black snakes were removed from a pile of mulch in his Sydney backyard.

Red-bellied black snakes are one of the most common venomous species in Australia but have not caused any human deaths on record. The five adult and 97 baby snakes are currently under quarantine and will be released into a national park once the weather cools.

Living in Australia means you might have to accept coming across a snake or two on your property at some point. But one Sydney homeowner got more than he bargained for when a snake catcher unearthed 102 of the slithery reptiles hiding in his garden.