Foreign secretary James Cleverly to attend World Cup final

UK overseas caput James Cleverly volition question to Australia to ticker England successful the Women's World Cup last this Sunday.

He volition articulation Lucy Frazer, the furniture curate liable for sports policy, arsenic the Lionesses instrumentality connected Spain.

Rishi Sunak, however, volition not beryllium attending the lucifer successful Sydney.

Health curate Neil O'Brien said the premier curate would "love to beryllium there", but had unavoidable diary commitments.

He blamed the warfare successful Ukraine and "some of the different things that are happening with the wider economy".

"The premier curate has a batch of important things successful his diary, and immoderate of those things helium can't ever move," helium told broadcasters.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Spain's Queen Letizia volition alert to Australia to be the last with her 16-year-old girl Infanta Sofia - but nary British royals volition beryllium present.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation said King Felipe would not beryllium attending, arsenic helium would beryllium engaged carrying retired different authoritative duties.

Kensington Palace said Prince William, the president of the Football Association, would beryllium cheering connected the England squad from the UK.

It is understood helium made the determination to debar making long-distance flights for a precise abbreviated enactment successful Australia. He is believed to beryllium acrophobic astir the clime interaction of making the journey.

The Foreign Office confirmed Mr Cleverly's attendance connected Friday, pursuing confirmation of Ms Frazer's plans to question connected Wednesday.

The authorities has said it has no plans for a slope holiday to observe an England triumph successful the final, contempt calls from Labour and the Liberal Democrats. There has ne'er been 1 held to people a sporting occasion.

Ministers person called connected section councils to bash their champion to let pubs to unfastened aboriginal up of the game.

According to an manufacture body, astir pubs are apt to beryllium incapable to service intoxicant until 11:00 BST, the clip the lucifer begins, with immoderate being restricted until midday.

Pubs tin use to their assembly for a impermanent lawsuit announcement (TEN) to alteration their hours - but that requires 5 moving days to process.

There person been calls to unbend licensing laws successful England and Wales connected Sunday - but signing disconnected specified a determination would necessitate the consent of Parliament, which is presently successful its summertime recess.