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Rishi Sunak has refused to apologise for the economic turmoil Liz Truss’s short-lived government caused in the UK.

The prime minister, who is in Bali for the G20 summit, refused six times today to say sorry for the decisions his predecessor made, which caused severe and continuing financial turbulence.

He acknowledged that “mistakes were made” by Ms Truss and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, whose unfunded £45bn tax cuts sent mortgage rates soaring, and created a run on sterling and a gilt market freefall.

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However, every time he was asked by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby to apologise, he repeated that errors were made and said: “What I want to do now is fix them.”

He admitted there are “difficult decisions” to be made to get the economy back on track, but he is “prepared to do difficult things”.

Mr Sunak added: “I spent the summer talking about the challenges that our country faces, talking about what I thought was required to grapple with those and fix them to build a foundation which we could provide jobs and growth and prosperity for people over time.

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“So I think that people know where I stand on all of these issues. And now that I’m prime minister, I’m going to make sure that we deliver on that.”

Although Mr Sunak spoke out against Ms Truss’s plans for the economy during the summer’s leadership campaign, he said he would not vote against her mini-budget.

He said since he took over the reins, there is now “much more stability in the UK’s financial position in terms of what the UK is paying to borrow money and what’s happened to the pound”.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meet at the Art Cafe Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua as they attend the G20 in Bali, Indonesia
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Rishi Sunak had a meeting with Candian PM Justin Trudeau in a cafe in Bali

Mini-budget cost UK £30bn

Analysis released on Monday by the independent Resolution Foundation think tank found Ms Truss’s mini-budget cost the UK £30bn, doubling the sum the Treasury says will have to be raised by Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor.

Mr Hunt will seek to tackle that £60m “black hole” in the autumn statement on Thursday.

The chancellor told Sky News over the weekend there will be tax rises for everybody, although the most wealthy will have to contribute more, and he will announce a rise in the national living wage.

Mr Sunak said the government has a plan “to limit the increase in mortgage rates that will bring inflation down”.

“I think that people can be reassured that we will put a plan together that will do that, and that is what you will see on Thursday,” he added.

“I think the chancellor has been very clear about the challenges we face. It’s right that we’re upfront and honest with the country about the scale of the challenge we face.

“But what we’ve also said is that the way we go about that will have fairness and compassion at the heart of those decisions.”

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Rishi Sunak appeared to give Sergei Lavrov a stern stare as the Russian spoke at the G20. Pic: No 10
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Rishi Sunak appeared to give Sergei Lavrov a stern stare as the Russian spoke at the G20. Pic: No 10

Mr Sunak is on his second major international visit as PM, after the COP27 climate change talks in Egypt last week.

He said he is “hopeful” he will have a meeting with Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, and said his country poses a “systemic challenge” to the UK’s values and interests.

On Tuesday morning, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke over a videolink to the leaders of the 20 biggest economies, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who is there on behalf of Vladimir Putin.

Mr Zelenskyy, who previously called the summit the G19 as he missed out Russia, told the group now is the time to stop the war in Ukraine.

There is doubt over whether a joint communique over the Ukraine war will be produced at the end of the summit as it would have to be approved by Russia.

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Women’s Euros: Extreme heat warnings in place as tournament kicks off

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Women's Euros: Extreme heat warnings in place as tournament kicks off

The Women’s Euros begin in Switzerland today – with extreme heat warnings in place.

Security measures have had to be relaxed by UEFA for the opening matches so fans can bring in water bottles.

Temperatures could be about 30C (86F) when the Swiss hosts open their campaign against Norway in Basel this evening.

Players have already seen the impact of heatwaves this summer at the men’s Club World Cup in the US.

Players take a drink during a training session of Spain soccer team at the Euro 2025, in Lausanne, Switzerland Tuesday, July 1, 2025 Pic: AP
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The Spain squad pauses for refreshments during a training session. Pic: AP

It is raising new concerns in the global players’ union about whether the stars of the sport are being protected in hot and humid conditions.

FIFPRO has asked FIFA to allow cooling breaks every 15 minutes rather than just in the 30th minute of each half.

There’s also a request for half-time to be extended from 15 to 20 minutes to help lower the core temperature of players.

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FIFPRO’s medical director, Dr Vincent Gouttebarge, said: “There are some very challenging weather conditions that we anticipated a couple of weeks ago already, that was already communicated to FIFA.

“And I think the past few weeks were confirmation of all worries that the heat conditions will play a negative role for the performance and the health of the players.”

Football has seemed focused on players and fans baking in the Middle East – but scorching summers in Europe and the US are becoming increasingly problematic for sport.

Chloe Kelly celebrates with Beth Mead, right, after scoring her side's sixth goal at Wembley Stadium, in London, Friday, May 30, 2025. AP
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England are the tournament’s defending champions. Pic: AP

While climate change is a factor, the issue is not new and at the 1994 World Cup, players were steaming as temperatures rose in the US.

There is now more awareness of the need for mitigation measures among players and their international union.

FIFPRO feels football officials weren’t responsive when it asked for kick-off times to be moved from the fierce afternoon heat in the US for the first 32-team Club World Cup.

FIFA has to balance the needs of fans and broadcasters with welfare, with no desire to load all the matches in the same evening time slots.

Electric storms have also seen six games stopped, including a two-hour pause during a Chelsea game at the weekend.

This is the dress rehearsal for the World Cup next summer, which is mostly in the US.

Players are also feeling the heat at the Club World Cup in the US. Pic: AP
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Players are also feeling the heat at the Club World Cup. Pic: AP

The use of more indoor, air conditioned stadiums should help.

There is no prospect of moving the World Cup to winter, as Qatar had to do in 2022.

And looking further ahead to this time in 2030, there will be World Cup matches in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The temperatures this week have been hitting 40C (104F) in some host cities.

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FIFA said in a statement to Sky News: “Heat conditions are a serious topic that affect football globally.

“At the FCWC some significant and progressive measures are being taken to protect the players from the heat. For instance, cooling breaks were implemented in 31 out of 54 matches so far.

“Discussions on how to deal with heat conditions need to take place collectively and FIFA stands ready to facilitate this dialogue, including through the Task Force on Player Welfare, and to receive constructive input from all stakeholders on how to further enhance heat management.

“In all of this, the protection of players must be at the centre.”

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Trump’s USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths, report warns

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Trump's USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths, report warns

Around 14 million people could die across the world over the next five years because of cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), researchers have warned.

Children under five are expected to make up around a third (4.5 million) of the mortalities, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal.

Estimates showed that “unless the abrupt funding cuts announced and implemented in the first half of 2025 are reversed, a staggering number of avoidable deaths could occur by 2030”.

“Beyond causing millions of avoidable deaths – particularly among the most vulnerable – these cuts risk reversing decades of progress in health and socioeconomic development in LMICs [low and middle-income countries],” the report said.

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USAID programmes have prevented the deaths of more than 91 million people, around a third of them among children, the study suggests.

The agency’s work has been linked to a 65% fall in deaths from HIV/AIDS, or 25.5 million people.

Eight million deaths from malaria, more than half the total, around 11 million from diarrheal diseases and nearly five million from tuberculosis (TB), have also been prevented.

USAID has been vital in improving global health, “especially in LMICs, particularly African nations,” according to the report.

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Established in 1961, the agency was tasked with providing humanitarian assistance and helping economic growth in developing countries, especially those deemed strategic to Washington.

But the Trump administration has made little secret of its antipathy towards the agency, which became an early victim of cuts carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – formerly led by Elon Musk – in what the US government said was part of a broader plan to remove wasteful spending.

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What is USAID?

In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 80% of USAID schemes had been closed following a six-week review, leaving around 1,000 active.

The US is the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, providing around $61bn (£44bn) in foreign assistance last year, according to government data, or at least 38% of the total, and USAID is the world’s leading donor for humanitarian and development aid, the report said.

Between 2017 and 2020, the agency responded to more than 240 natural disasters and crises worldwide – and in 2016 it sent food assistance to more than 53 million people across 47 countries.

The study assessed all-age and all-cause mortality rates in 133 countries and territories, including all those classified as low and middle-income, supported by USAID from 2001 to 2021.

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Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended amid outrage over leaked phone call

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Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended amid outrage over leaked phone call

Thailand’s prime minister has been suspended after a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian politician caused outrage.

An ethics investigation into Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under way and she could end up being dismissed.

The country’s constitutional court took up a petition from 36 senators, who claimed dishonesty and a breach of ethical standards, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her.

Protesters gathered in Bangkok at the weekend. Pic: Reuters
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Protesters gathered in Bangkok at the weekend. Pic: Reuters

The prime minister’s call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, sparked public protests after she tried to appease him and criticised a Thai army commander – a taboo move in a country where the military is extremely influential.

Ms Shinawatra was trying to defuse mounting tensions at the border – which in May resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier.

Thousands of conservative, nationalist protesters held a demo in Bangkok on Saturday to urge her to step down.

Her party is clinging on to power after another group withdrew from their alliance a few weeks ago over the phone call. Calls for a no-confidence vote are likely.

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Deputy prime minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will take over temporarily while the court looks into the case.

The 38-year-old prime minister – Thailand‘s youngest ever leader – has 15 days to respond to the probe. She has apologised and said her approach in the call was a negotiating tactic.

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The popularity of her government has slumped recently, with an opinion poll showing an approval rating of 9.2%, down from 30.9% in March.

Ms Shinawatra comes from a wealthy dynasty synonymous with Thai politics.

Her father Thaksin Shinawatra – a former Manchester City owner – and aunt Yingluck Shinawatra served as prime minister before her – in the early to mid 2000s – and their time in office also ended ignominiously amid corruption charges and military coups.

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