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Whether or not Rishi Sunak will attend COP27 is “under review”, Downing Street has confirmed – as the PM faces mounting calls to attend the climate conference in Egypt.

Asked if the prime minister will be attending the summit, a Number 10 spokesperson said that “any attendance at COP would depend on progress on preparation for that fiscal event – and that work is ongoing”.

Last week, Downing Street said the PM would not be attending the conference in Sharm el Sheikh next month as he would be preoccupied with “other pressing domestic commitments, including preparations for the autumn budget”.

The spokesperson added: “The prime minister fully recognises the importance of the COP summit and is fully committed to addressing climate change.”

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Probed on whether this decision could change, the spokesperson continued: “I think that the prime minister set out that the public would rightly want him to focus on the domestic issues, particularly on restoring fiscal credibility and delivering on a budget that works for the British people.

“There is substantial progress being made on that and so we are keeping the position on COP under review.”

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Speaking to broadcasters on a visit to Croydon University Hospital on Friday, Mr Sunak reiterated this, insisting that he must focus on the “depressing domestic challenges” rather than head to the climate conference in Egypt.

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Sunak of displaying a “failure of leadership”.

“Britain showing up to work with world leaders is an opportunity to grasp. Not an event to shun,” he posted on social media.

Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, accused Mr Sunak of not taking climate change “seriously enough”.

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PM defends decision not to attend COP27

While, over the weekend, the president of last year’s summit Alok Sharma suggested the PM risks undermining Britain’s position as a world leader on green issues if he shuns the conference.

“I’m pretty disappointed that the prime minister is not going. I understand that he’s got a huge in-tray of domestic issues that he has to deal with,” the government’s climate tsar told The Sunday Times.

“But I would say that going to COP27 would allow for engagement with other world leaders. And I think it does send a signal – if the prime minister was to go – about our renewed commitment on this issue.”

Mr Sharma, who lost his cabinet seat in the latest reshuffle, will also be there, along with US president Joe Biden and America’s special envoy on climate change, John Kerry.

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King Charles will not attend COP27 in Egypt, Buckingham Palace says

A spokesperson for the Scottish government last week confirmed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is planning to attend COP27.

“Given the vital importance of governments working together to tackle climate change, it is the first minister’s intention to attend COP27,” the spokesperson said on Friday.

“Details of the ministerial programme are currently being finalised.”

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Prime Minister should be at COP

Mr Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss had been due to attend the summit which is due to take place from 6 to 18 November.

New Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn budget – in which he will set out his government’s tax and spending plans – will be delivered on 17 November.

It has been reported that former PM Boris Johnson is planning to attend the summit to show his support for international efforts to tackle climate change.

Last week, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey defended Mr Sunak’s decision not to go to COP27, insisting that protecting the planet was “absolutely a priority for the government”.

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Environment secretary defends Sunak’s COP snub

While former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said the PM was right not to go to the summit, saying: “The cost of living won’t be solved in Sharm el Sheikh where each hotel room for the conference is £2,000 a night.”

But signalling a potential U-turn earlier on Monday, environment minister Mark Spencer told Sky News that Mr Sunak would go to COP27 “if he’s got time”, adding that the prime minister has “an inbox which is full to the brim”.

Meanwhile, on Sunday it was announced that King Charles will host a reception for key COP27 figures at Buckingham Palace on Friday, despite not attending the conference himself.

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The King, who has been a passionate campaigner on environmental issues, will host the event which will bring together over 200 international business leaders, decision makers and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) to mark the end of the United Kingdom’s presidency of COP26 and look ahead to the COP27 summit in Egypt.

The King has attended the UN climate conference for a number of years and delivered one of the keynote speeches at the opening ceremony for COP26 in Glasgow – but will not be going to Sharm el Sheikh.

Guests at the King’s Buckingham Palace reception will include Mr Sunak, who is expected to speak briefly at the event.

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Jury shown CCTV and bodycam footage of brothers allegedly assaulting police at Manchester Airport

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Jury shown CCTV and bodycam footage of brothers allegedly assaulting police at Manchester Airport

CCTV and police bodycam footage allegedly showing three police officers being assaulted at Manchester Airport has been played to jurors.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, are said to have struck out after police were called to the airport on 23 July last year, following Amaaz allegedly headbutting a customer at a Starbucks in Terminal 2.

Minutes later, three police officers approached the defendants at the paystation in the terminal’s car park.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court today watched CCTV footage from opposite angles, which captured what the prosecution says was a “high level of violence” being used by the siblings.

The prosecution says Amaaz resisted as officers tried to move him to arrest him, and Amaad then intervened.

Junior counsel Adam Birkby suggested Amaaz threw 10 punches, including one to the face of PC Lydia Ward, which knocked her to the floor.

His brother Amaad is then said to have aimed six punches at firearms officer PC Zachary Marsden.

Amaaz also allegedly kicked PC Marsden and struck firearms officer PC Ellie Cook twice with his elbow.

He is said to have punched PC Marsden from behind and had a hold of him, before PC Cook discharged her Taser.

Human Rights lawyer Aamer Anwar (centre) arrives with Mohammed Fahir Amaaz (left) and Muhammed Amaad (right) at Liverpool Crown Court, where
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Mohammed Fahir Amaaz (left) and Muhammed Amaad (right) arrive at the court with their lawyer. Pic: PA

The bodycam and CCTV footage, submitted as evidence by the prosecution, allegedly shows the officers’ arrival in the Terminal 2 car park and their attempts to arrest the siblings, as well as their exchanges with them.

PC Ward can be heard saying “Oi, you b*****d” in footage from her bodycam, the prosecution evidence appears to show.

She then appears to fall to the floor and screams.

PC Cook, who is pointing her Taser at one of the defendants, then allegedly says: “Stay on the floor, stay on the floor whatever you do.”

“Get back, get back,” PC Ward appears to say.

The bodycam footage, shown to the jury by the prosecution, shows PC Marsden, who is also pointing his Taser, appear to approach the defendant who is lying on the ground and kick out at him.

Mr Birkby said: “Mr Amaaz, while prone, lifts his head towards the officers. PC Marsden kicks Mr Amaaz around the head area.

“PC Marsden stamps his foot towards the crown of Mr Amaaz’s head area but doesn’t appear to connect with Mr Amaaz.”

Amaaz denies three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to the three police officers and one count of assault to Abdulkareem Ismaeil, the customer at Starbucks.

Amaad denies one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to PC Marsden.

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Stephen Doohan: Paramedic who secretly gave pregnant woman abortion drug jailed for more than 10 years

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Stephen Doohan: Paramedic who secretly gave pregnant woman abortion drug jailed for more than 10 years

A paramedic who secretly gave a pregnant woman an abortion drug during sex has been jailed for more than 10 years. 

Stephen Doohan, 33, was married when he met the woman on holiday in Spain in 2021 and began a long-distance relationship.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how the victim travelled to Edinburgh in March 2023 to visit Doohan after learning she was pregnant.

During consensual sex, Doohan twice secretly administered the tablets which led to the woman suffering a miscarriage.

In May, Doohan pleaded guilty to sexual assault and causing the woman to have an abortion. He returned to the dock on Monday where he was jailed for 10 years and six months.

Lord Colbeck said Doohan caused “long-term psychological injury” to his victim.

The judge said: “You put her through considerable pain over a number of days and left her facing a lifetime of pain and loss.”

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The court heard how the woman found tablets hidden under the mattress after she became suspicious over Doohan’s behaviour in bed.

Lord Colbeck said: “The complainer then carried out an internet search for abortion tablets and confronted you over your actions.”

After the woman fell ill, Doohan convinced her to lie to medics at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh amid fears he would be arrested if she told the truth.

The victim later attended another hospital with her sister and was told she was having a miscarriage.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said Doohan sent the woman gifts including perfume, socks, facial cleansing oil, money to get her hair done and bought tickets for them to attend a football match.

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The woman complained to the Scottish Ambulance Service in May 2023, sparking an investigation.

The court heard that on 14 March 2023, the day the woman told Doohan she was pregnant, the paramedic used a work intranet to search for abortion drugs.

Lord Colbeck said: “You planned out what you did to your victim using resources available to you as a paramedic.”

In addition to his prison sentence, Doohan was also added to the sex offenders’ register and banned from contacting his victim.

Fiona Kirkby, procurator fiscal for high court sexual offences, said: “Stephen Doohan’s calculated and heinous actions caused the loss of the victim’s pregnancy, robbing her of plans she had for the future.

“He has now been held accountable for this fundamental breach of trust.

“While offences like this are thankfully rare, I hope this prosecution sends a clear message to all those who seek to inflict sexual harm towards women.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim, who must be commended for reporting her experience and seeking justice.

“We recognise that reporting sexual offending can be difficult but would urge anyone affected to come forward and seek support when they feel ready to do so.”

The Scottish Ambulance Service branded it an “appalling case”.

A spokesperson added: “We recognise the courage it must have taken for the victim to come forward and speak out.

“As soon as we learned of these very serious allegations and charges, we immediately took action, providing ongoing support to her whilst liaising with Police Scotland throughout the investigation.

“We know nothing will change what has happened to the victim and all we can hope is this sentence provides some comfort to them.”

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UK farmers have ‘nothing more to give’ as they fear govt will compromise welfare in US-UK trade deal

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UK farmers have 'nothing more to give' as they fear govt will compromise welfare in US-UK trade deal

UK farmers have “nothing more to give” as they fear the government will use agriculture to further reduce US tariffs in a trade deal with the White House.

The UK is trying to reduce steel tariffs to zero, from a current reduced rate of 25%, but Downing Street refused to confirm if it was confident ahead of Donald Trump’s deadline of 9 July.

Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said UK agriculture had already been used to reduce Trump-imposed tariffs on cars but any other concessions would have serious repercussions for farmers, food security and the UK’s high animal welfare standards.

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He told Sky News: “It just feels like we, as the agricultural sector, had to shoulder the responsibility to reduce the tariffs on cars from 25%.

“We can’t do it anymore, we have nothing more to give.

“It’s clear the steel quotas and tariffs aren’t sorted yet, so we just want to be very clear with the government: if they’re sitting around the negotiating table – which we understand they are – they can’t expect agriculture to give any more.”

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Tom Bradshaw, the head of the NFU, speaking to Sky News
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Tom Bradshaw, the head of the NFU, said farmers cannot give any more

‘Massively undermine our standards’

Since 30 June, the US has been able to import 13,000 tonnes of hormone-free British beef without tariffs under a deal made earlier this year, which farmers feel was to reduce the car import levy Mr Trump imposed.

The UK was also given tariff-free access to 1.4bn litres of US ethanol, which farmers say will put the UK’s bioethanol and associated sectors under pressure.

Allowing lower US food standards would “massively undermine our standards” and would mean fewer sales to the European Union where food standards are also high, Mr Bradshaw said.

It would leave British farmers competing on a playing field that is “anything but fair”, he said, because US food can be produced – and sold – much cheaper due to low welfare which could see a big reduction in investment in UK farms, food security and the environment.

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Can the UK avoid steel tariffs?

‘The US will push hard for more access’

He said the US narrative has always suggested they want access to British agriculture products “as a start and they’ll negotiate for more”.

“The narrative from the White House on 8 May, when a US-UK trade deal was announced, was all about further access to our agriculture products – it was very different to what our government was saying,” he added.

“So far, the UK has stood firm and upheld our higher welfare standards, but the US will push very hard to have further access.

“No country in the world has proved they can reduce the 10% tariffs further.”

US poultry welfare is lower than the UK, with much more intensive farming that means the meat has to be washed with antimicrobials. Pic: AP
Image:
US poultry welfare is lower than the UK, with much more intensive farming that means the meat has to be washed with antimicrobials. Pic: AP

US ‘will target poultry and pork’

The Essex farmer said he expects the US to push “very hard” to get the UK to lower its standards on poultry and pork, specifically.

US poultry is often washed with antimicrobials, including chlorine, in an attempt to wash off high levels of bacteria caused by poor hygiene, antibiotic use and low animal welfare conditions not allowed in UK farming.

US pig rearing methods are also quite different, with intensive farming and the use of feed additive ractopamine legal, with both banned in the UK.

A government spokesperson told Sky News: “We regularly speak to businesses across the UK to understand the impact of tariffs and will only ever act in the national interest.

“Our Plan for Change has delivered a deal which will open up exclusive access for UK beef farmers to the US market for the first time ever and all agricultural imports coming to the UK will have to meet our high SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) standards.”

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