Newspaper headlines: Sharma 'sorry' as India and China 'thwart' COP deal
By BBC News
Staff
- Published
The last-minute deal reached in Glasgow at COP26 features on several front pages and is the lead story for the Sunday Times. The paper says India and China thwarted a United Nations deal to end the use of coal power. The paper's lead image is of an emotional Alok Sharma, president of COP26, who apologised to delegates on Saturday for the way the late change was made. Rather than a pledge to accelerate the "phase-out" of coal power, the term was watered down to "phase-down". This, the paper notes, lessens the urgency with which nations should aim to reduce the use of coal.
The Observer adds that pledges on emissions cuts at the summit fell short of those needed to limit temperatures to 1.5C, according to scientific experts. Countries have agreed to return to talks next year. Meanwhile, the lead story for the paper centres on allegations from previously unpublished extracts from Jennifer Arcuri's diary. The American businesswoman, who claims she and Boris Johnson had an intimate relationship while he was mayor of London, said Mr Johnson overruled the advice of staff to promote her business interests and win her affections, according to the paper. A government spokesperson told the paper that Mr Johnson "followed all the legal requirements in the Greater London Assembly's [sic] code of conduct at the time".
Writing for the Sunday Telegraph, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has told Vladimir Putin that he must end the "shameful manufactured migrant crisis" reaching Europe's eastern borders. It comes amid an escalating migrant crisis at the Polish-Belarusian border. Ms Truss has said Russia has a "clear responsibility" to end Belarus's attempt to use "desperate migrants as pawns" to destabilise the region, the paper reports.
Turning to the UK's borders, the Mail on Sunday says the outgoing head of Border Force has described "bloody borders" as "just such a pain in the bloody a***". Paul Lincoln allegedly made the remarks during a speech to mark his departure as director general of Border Force. More than 23,500 people have crossed the Channel so far this year, the paper notes.
The Sunday Mirror alleges on its front page that Conservative MP Richard Fuller has received more than £700,000 from work outside his parliamentary role, with a large chunk allegedly coming from a firm which the paper reports invests in spy technology in China. The Mirror carries a quote from Labour which has said the so-called sleaze scandal "gets worse by the day".
Meanwhile, the Sunday People says that the Duchess of Sussex's sister, Samantha, is in talks with lawyers and wants to sue the royal.
Elsewhere, the Sunday Express reports that the PM has pledged £50m to find a cure for motor neurone disease. Mr Johnson has reportedly said he will "throw the full weight of government" behind a new mission to find a cure, spearheaded by British scientists, according to the paper.
And the Daily Star Sunday says that mythical creature Bigfoot has been detected in Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, with a footprint and claw marks allegedly found.