Boris Johnson urged Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine after the former president picked a running mate who strongly opposes American support for the war.

Mr Johnson met Trump on the fringes of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday for almost an hour to discuss the war.

The Republican nominee has chosen JD Vance, a hard-line Ukraine sceptic, as his vice-presidential candidate for November’s election.

The 39-year-old Ohio senator has previously called for Washington to negotiate directly with Moscow over the war, and believes Ukraine will never recover territory lost after Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

It comes as Mr Vance triggered a row in the Labour Party on Tuesday after it emerged he had said the new Government would turn the UK into the world’s first Islamist nuclear power.

Mr Johnson said Trump was in “superb form” after meeting the former president following the assassination attempt on Saturday that left him with a wound on his right ear.

“We discussed Ukraine at length and I know that he will give the strong and decisive leadership necessary to protect democracy against aggression,” Mr Johnson said.

Trump has said he would end the Ukraine war “in one day” if he wins a second term, and has pledged to begin negotiations before the inauguration ceremony in January.

Mr Vance is one of the loudest opponents of American aid for Ukraine in Congress, and has said it is “absurd” that the US has not started negotiations with Putin to end the conflict.

The Biden administration, the UK and other Nato allies have said any negotiation that involves Ukraine ceding territory to Russia would not be acceptable.

The Nato alliance has attempted to “Trump proof” itself by boosting defence spending, while Congress has passed a law that would prevent any president withdrawing from the group without the consent of lawmakers.

Mr Johnson also praised Trump’s “courage, resilience and sheer indomitability with which he has responded” to the attempt on his life, which is now the subject of a federal investigation.

The FBI, which is leading the inquiry, has not yet revealed a motive for 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, the deceased gunman.

It was reported on Wednesday that the Secret Service had increased its protection of Trump in the days before the shooting after learning of an unrelated murder plot by Iran.

Trump has given little indication of how he would secure peace in Ukraine, or how he would deal with requests for munitions from Volodymyr Zelensky, the country’s president.

However, Mr Vance explained his position on the war in an essay for The New York Times in April, when he argued that Mr Zelensky’s goal of returning the border with Russia to its pre-war position was “fantastical”.

“The White House has said time and again that it can’t negotiate with President Vladimir Putin of Russia,” he said. “This is absurd.”

Mr Vance’s appointment on Monday has also angered Labour politicians, who are concerned about his recent comments about the party.

Speaking at the National Conservatism conference in Washington last week, the 39-year-old Ohio senator said he had discussed with a friend which would be the “first truly Islamist country to get a nuclear weapon”.

He said: “Maybe it’s Iran. Maybe Pakistan already kind of counts. And then we finally decided maybe it’s actually the UK since Labour took over.”

The comments were met with fury by Labour Muslim activists, who described them as “racist” and called on the party to meet them “with strength”.

However, Sir Keir Starmer did not offer a statement on the remarks, and Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, said only that she “doesn’t recognise” his view of the UK.

“I think he’s said quite a lot of fruity things in the past as well,” she said.

“We won votes across all different communities, across the whole of the country, and we’re interested in governing on behalf of Britain and also working with our international allies.”

John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said the remarks were a “caricature” but that Labour would work with Mr Vance if Trump wins the US election.

“President Trump is controversial, isn’t he? It’s no surprise he’s picked a controversial running mate as his vice-presidential candidate,” he said.

“Look, in the end, as a country and as a government, we’ll work with whoever the American people elect.”

The Government’s tepid response comes after attempts by senior Labour figures to build ties with Trump in recent months, on the expectation he will replace Joe Biden.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, has met Mr Vance several times in recent months and described him as a “friend”.

On Sunday, Sir Keir was one of the few foreign leaders to speak to Trump directly after the assassination attempt against him at a rally.

Ali Milani, the national chairman of the Labour Muslim Network, said the party’s response to Mr Vance’s comments was too weak.

“It’s important that [politicians], be it the Labour government or any politician, have the courage to stand up and call this what it is, which is blatant Islamophobia,” he told the BBC.

A senior Labour MP said they “absolutely agreed” with Mr Milani’s criticism of the response.

Another said: “Labour is no longer the opposition and it’s our patriotic duty to stand up for Britain when foreign statesmen get it wrong.”

The row came in a major week for Sir Keir’s new administration, which includes the King’s Speech on Wednesday and a meeting of the European Political Community at Blenheim Palace on Thursday.

Labour has stressed that its main foreign policy priorities are to build closer ties with both European and American figures, even at risk of angering Brexiteers and critics of Trump.

Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister, and Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, are among those expected to attend Thursday’s meeting.

Mr Orbán has angered European leaders by travelling to meet Putin and Trump to discuss the war in Ukraine.

He said in a letter reported on Wednesday that he had received guarantees from Trump that he would “immediately be ready to act as a peace mediator” if he wins November’s US election.

Zara McDermott has described her training-room treatment by Strictly Come Dancing partner Graziano di Prima as “incredibly distressing”.

Di Prima left the BBC show last week following allegations that he physically and verbally abused McDermott behind the scenes.

He was not suspended, but has left and acknowledged this is because of his behaviour.

Di Prima became the second professional to exit the show after Giovanni Pernice’s departure in June.

McDermott, 27, a former Love Island contestant turned television presenter, said she initially did not report her concerns because she feared a public backlash.

She and Di Prima were partnered on the show last year.

“So much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with,” McDermott said in a statement on Instagram.

“However, my experience inside the training room was very different.

“Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.

“I have wrestled with the fear of opening up – I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

“The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up, especially in a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I’ve seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.”

McDermott said: “Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl. When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true.

“I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it. I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.”

She thanked the BBC “for their swift action and incredibly high level of support”.

The departures of Di Prima and Pernice have thrown the show into crisis, and questions are being asked about the BBC’s duty of care protocols, with the show considering the use of chaperones.

The BBC said: “While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established a robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate.”

Pernice is under investigation by the BBC over his alleged behaviour towards his partner last year, Amanda Abbington. He has branded the claims against him “false” and vowed to clear his name.

Di Prima said at the weekend that he would share his story when the time is right and added: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.”

One source told The Times that professional dancers endured tough training regimes at dance schools in their own careers, and would deploy similar methods of teaching to improve the performance of their dance partners.

They said: “It would be an expensive measure to employ chaperones to attend every rehearsal and check that everything is above board but it would mean that no one would be able to cry foul months later.”

A Harley Street doctor has been suspended from treating patients for five months after he carried out a £3,500 non-essential penis filler procedure during lockdown.

Dr Mohammed Sefahn Chaudhry, 35, kept his private clinic open using his website and put up £1,000 worth of “Barbie tip rhinoplasty” and “lip filler” treatments as giveaways in a prize draw on social media in 2020.

Dr Chaudhry was reported to the General Medical Council after the patient who underwent the penis filler procedure claimed his genitalia had been left “misshapen” and had developed a “lump”.

The unnamed man, known as Patient A, also alleged Dr Chaudhry had posted “before and after” pictures of his penis on his website without his permission, forged paperwork and raised his voice at him when he complained about the results of the procedure.

At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), Dr Chaudhry, from Coulsdon, south London was found guilty of serious professional misconduct relating to non-essential work during the pandemic and was suspended from medical practice for five months.

But a disciplinary panel cleared him over allegations he failed to give proper treatment to Patient A and also rejected claims Dr Chaudhry posted the “before and after pictures” online after comparing the images in question to another picture of the man’s penis which he sent to an expert witness in the case as evidence.

The panel also ruled “the clinical notes and consent form completed on 4 May 2020 were more likely than not to have been signed by Patient A”.

The doctor ran two cosmetic clinics, Dermis Clinic Ltd and MC Medical Aesthetics Limited.

The investigation began in October 2020 after Patient A complained about his penis filler procedure which was carried out after he was contacted over WhatsApp the previous April in a “marketing call” by one of Dr Chaudhry’s work colleagues.

The Manchester hearing was told Patient A had wanted “increased penis girth’’ as his partner was “not satisfied’’.

He said in a statement: “The call was purely logistical e.g., when they could see me, how I could get there (given this was during the Covid pandemic), whether Dr Chaudhry had a London clinic etc.

“I confirmed that I was circumcised and asked whether my skin would adapt to the filler, and I was advised that it would.’’

Patient A underwent the procedure on May 4 with Dr Chaudhry and in June attended a second consultation in which he said the filler had not hardened and his penis started to look “misshapen”.

He said there was a lump and the filler remained soft and claimed Dr Chaudhry suggested further filler should be injected for free.

On July 18, Patient A attended Dr Chaudhry’s clinic for a third consultation and procedure and it was agreed that the enzyme Hylase be injected into his penis to dissolve the lump.

But in his statement, Patient A alleged: “Dr Chaudhry raised his voice, implying that he was out of pocket as he had provided some of the filler for free and that it was my fault the filler hadn’t hardened. I didn’t think this was very called for.”

‘Before and after’ images

He subsequently claimed he saw “before and after” images of his penis on the PenisFill website insisting he recognised it in the “before” pictures due to the positioning of the lump and claimed the “after” picture was of his penis immediately after the initial procedure.

Dr Chaudhry denied wrongdoing, claiming the picture was of another patient’s penis, and insisted: “I deny raising my voice at any time during my appointment with Patient A. He seems to be seeking ways to get a refund.”

He added: “During the Covid pandemic my understanding and belief was that the treatments I offer are medical. Therefore I never viewed them as non-essential.

“Every client that came to us during the pandemic, who was seeking treatments for purely cosmetic reasons, were not seen and advised to come after restrictions had been lifted.

“Our clinic was not open as normal and has strict Covid policies and protocols. I would also like to state, that the area that I work in was an extremely grey area during the pandemic.

“My colleague doctors, working on the same street, were performing hundreds of cosmetic-only procedures. I was not intently or purposefully breaching Covid legislation. 

“Again I am very sorry if this has put the public confidence in doctors at risk and jeopardising the profession’s reputation. I have learnt many valuable lessons from this process.’’

He also said the clinics no longer offered treatments as prize giveaways.

In suspending Dr Chaudhry, Ms Amarjit Sagar, the MPTS chairman, said: “The tribunal did not accept that Dr Chaudhry could have possibly thought that he was permitted to remain open during the period of the pandemic.

“There was wide press coverage and daily broadcast updates about the risks of the spread of Covid-19 yet despite this, Dr Chaudhry chose to continue to work and remain open.

“Patient A had not been in pain with his penis and there was nothing to suggest he required urgent medical attention. The tribunal was therefore satisfied that treating Patient A by injecting him with penis filler was non-essential treatment.

“It determined that in continuing to work, Dr Chaudhry ignored the constraints imposed on the general public and acted as if these did not apply to him.

“During this period, family members could not attend the funerals of their loved ones and major surgeries needed to be postponed. Dr Chaudhry would have been aware of the seriousness of the situation.

‘Obliged to keep patients safe’

“Fellow practitioners were under pressure working during Covid-19 conditions to keep the public safe, and Dr Chaudhry was also obliged to keep patients safe, in this case by closing his clinic.

“The tribunal considered this behaviour to be deplorable and as the public endured the restrictions imposed by Government guidance he continued providing non-essential treatment for financial gain.

“The tribunal considered that Dr Chaudhry was prompting customers to break Covid-19 guidelines by incentivising them with aesthetic procedures worth £1000.

Ms Sagar added: “Dr Chaudhry should have acted promptly to ensure patient safety and as director should have closed the clinics and cancelled any patients that were booked in.

“Failing to do so posed a risk to patients who were travelling, possibly on public transport, to see him, as well as mixing with any staff members at the clinic. He has shown no remorse.”

A former SNP equalities officer who told how he wanted to “beat the f—” out of gender critical feminists is a “dangerous” predator, prosecutors have said after he was jailed for a series of sexual assaults.

Cameron Downing, who was an official in the SNP’s London branch, was sentenced to six years in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh.

He was convicted of sexually assaulting six young adults and physically assaulting two women.

The 24-year-old targeted his victims at addresses in the Edinburgh, Glasgow and Falkirk areas between Hogmanay in 2016 and April 2021.

Downing was also found guilty of domestic abuse, which involved conduct spanning several months, where he threatened to falsely accuse a former partner of raping him.

He said he would tell the man’s friends, family and employers before blackmailing the victim to be in a sexual relationship with him.

Online conduct criticised by JK Rowling

Downing, who identifies as non-binary, has been pictured at an SNP conference with Nicola Sturgeon, the former Scottish first minister, and took part in a Pride march alongside Karen Adam, the SNP MSP and convenor of Holyrood’s equalities committee. There is no suggestion they were aware of his wrongdoing.

His conduct online has been criticised by JK Rowling, after he wrote on Twitter that he wanted to “beat the f— out of some terfs and transphobes”. He also tweeted “I f—— hate terfs and transphobes with such a passion.”

“Terf” is an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist, a slur for women such as Rowling who do not believe that men who claim to identify as women are literally female, and who want to protect single-sex spaces.

Police Scotland launched an investigation into his conduct, which started when he was  16. He denied any wrongdoing during his trial, saying he had been battling “complex” health problems at the time of the abuse.

However, Downing, of Willowbrae, Edinburgh, was convicted last month and returned to the dock on Tuesday for sentencing.

‘No compassion’

Judge Alison Stirling referred to an interview he gave to a court-appointed social worker in which he continued to protest his innocence.

She said: “You have shown no compassion or insight into how your behaviour has affected the wellbeing of your victims.

“Your risk cannot be managed in the community and custody is the only appropriate disposal with regard to the seriousness of your offending in this case.

“I am going to impose a sentence in two parts. The first part will be a custodial term of six years and the second part will be supervision.”

She also ordered Downing to be supervised by the authorities for three years following his release from custody.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and was made the subject of an indefinite non-harassment order in respect of one of the complainers.

Downing blew kisses to family members sitting in the public benches as security guards took him away from the court.

Speaking after his appearance, Katrina Parkes, Scotland’s procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offending, said: “Cameron Downing is a dangerous individual whose predatory and manipulative behaviour has inflicted unimaginable trauma.

“It is thanks to the bravery and courage of his victims that this prosecution has been possible.”

‘Downing victim of homophobia’

Michael Meehan KC, defending, told the court that sentencing guidelines for young people applied to Downing’s case.

Judges have to take into account research that people aged under 24 do not have fully formed brains and have a greater chance of rehabilitation than older people.

Mr Meehan also told the court of how his client had suffered adverse childhood experiences, adding: “He was the victim of homophobic and derogatory remarks whilst at school.”

Downing is a former drama student who has acted in Edinburgh Fringe productions. He also worked as an NHS contact tracer during the pandemic.

In response to his tweets about “terfs”, Harry Potter author Rowling tweeted in October 2022: “Nicola Sturgeon’s Scotland: A place where an equalities officer feels free to declare in public how much he wants to beat up non-compliant women.”

His trial heard how Downing threatened his former partner that he would tell his friends, family and employer that he was a rapist.

A message shown to the jury said Downing wanted his victim to continue having sex with him. It read: “You should want that with all of your f—— being because the alternative is losing me from your life and most likely facing a court case for raping me.”

He also repeatedly sent the victim threatening messages, demanded he provide his social media passwords and made threats to kill himself.

Downing subjected the man to repeated sexual activity without his consent over the course of several months.

A 17-year-old girl who died after attending a music festival in Kent was among 22 people taken to hospital suffering from suspected drug overdoses at the event.

Police declared a major incident over the Worried About Henry drum and bass gig at the Dreamland amusement park on June 29 after at least a dozen people under 18 were taken to hospital, with the youngest being aged 15.

The details of what happened have been revealed after the park, in the seaside town of Margate, was subjected to a review of its licence by Thanet District Council.

One person remains in hospital in a medically-induced coma, Kent Police said.

Emily Stokes has been named in media reports as the teenager who died.

In an online crowdfunding appeal, her sister Megan Stokes said: “To have her taken away so suddenly at just only 17 years old, it has completely broke me.”

She added: “The events on June 29 2024 are tragic and I wish for them never to be repeated. The venue and strategic partners are all really well engaged in ensuring that all efforts are made to minimise this risk in the future.

“I am of the opinion that this and other events have breached the licensing objectives in a number of forms and therefore it is right and proper that a review is completed of the venue’s licence in order to achieve the above and ensure public confidence in all agencies moving forward.

“At this stage, we are not seeking a full revocation of the licence as Kent Police are confident in working with Dreamland prior to any review hearing.”

Suspected dealer arrested

An application by Kent Police for a review of Dreamland’s licence said the over-16s all-day festival began at 1pm and 6,300 tickets were sold in advance, with a further 700 available on the door.

In the early afternoon officers became aware of three people being taken to hospital from the venue believed to be suffering from possible drug overdoses.

At 5pm a man was found with suspected illegal drugs and arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply, and then at 6pm an ambulance was called for a 17-year-old boy who was suffering from the side effects of drugs.

A call shortly after confirmed one of the casualties taken to hospital earlier in the day had been declared dead following a suspected MDMA overdose, according to Kent Police’s application.

The force said it declared a major incident at 7pm, adding: “At this time Kent Police were aware of 11 persons hospitalised due to drug use and potential overdoses”.

Venue ‘well run’

Officers decided not to shut down the festival as this “would likely have caused a large-scale public order incident and … allowing the event to continue would assist in the identification/support of any further casualties who could be treated accordingly.”

The force added: “This was a challenging decision but allowed mitigating factors to be implemented to minimise the risk towards already vulnerable children at the event.”

Dreamland has since cancelled a similar event scheduled for July 27. 

Kent Police said in its application that the park “has been well run” and was “well suited to what we would deem to be lower-risk events”.

‘Deeply saddened’

The force listed several interim measures it said should be put in place, which the council’s licensing sub-committee agreed to at a meeting on July 9.

The recommended steps included the formal cancellation of all similar events and those deemed to be of a “higher risk association with class A and B drug use by those under 18”.

Police also requested more security staff at the venue, zero-tolerance signage and for under-18s to be accompanied by someone aged over 25.

Following the teenager’s death, a Dreamland spokesman said: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of a 17-year-old woman in hospital on Saturday June 29.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the young woman’s family and friends and we will continue to work closely with Kent Police where relevant as they investigate this tragedy further.

“The police investigation is still ongoing, and we will therefore not be making any further comment.”

The amusement park has been contacted for further comment following the licensing meeting.

Jay Slater’s death was caused by trauma injuries consistent with falling in a rocky area, officials said as they formally identified his remains.

On Tuesday, teams were seen still searching the area where the 19-year-old was found as locals claimed it was “hard to understand how he got there”.

The Canary Islands High Court of Justice said it had identified the teenager’s body with the use of fingerprint technology after the remains were discovered near the village of Masca in Tenerife on Monday.

Debbie Duncan, Mr Slater’s mother, said in a statement: “I just can’t believe it – we’re here with the embassy staff waiting for an update and now it’s come – the worst news.”

The 55-year-old added: “I just can’t believe this could happen to my beautiful boy. Our hearts are broken.”

LBT Global, a charity which provides crisis support for British families overseas, previously said the remains were found with the young man’s clothes and possessions near his last known location.

The Spanish Civil Guard said Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, could have fallen in the steep and inaccessible area where his body was discovered.

Following a preliminary post-mortem examination, a Canary Islands High Court of Justice spokesman said: “We have positively identified [Jay Slater]. 

“We can confirm from fingerprints that the body is that of Jay Slater and the death was due to polytrauma compatible with a fall in a rocky zone.” 

Polytrauma is a medical term which describes multiple fractures and injuries to body organs.

Mountain rescue workers, volunteers, drones, dogs and helicopters spent weeks hunting for the teenager, who had been visiting Tenerife with friends to attend the NRG music festival.

Video footage released by Spanish police showed people clambering across near-vertical rocky mountainsides covered in thick vegetation while looking for Mr Slater. 

He left the festival sometime between 3am and 6am on Sunday June 16 in the car of two other British men he had met earlier that evening, and stayed at an Airbnb property they had rented on the island’s west side near Masca.

Ofelia Medina Hernandez, the owner of the cottage, saw him outside just before 8am the following morning.

After she told him the next bus to his resort in Los Cristianos, in the south of the island, would not come for two hours, Mr Slater decided to start walking. She drove past the teenager around 10 minutes later, and said he was walking “quite fast”.

Twenty minutes later, Mr Slater phoned his friend Lucy Mae Law, who had been with him at the music festival, saying he was lost, thirsty, had one per cent charge left on his phone’s battery and had cut his leg on a cactus.

She called the police, and the apprentice bricklayer’s phone was last recorded at a point north of the cottage he had stayed at.

Search efforts continued

After 12 days of searching, the Guardia Civil said its hunt for the teenager had “ended” but the case remained open, promising that “any new clues will be investigated”.

Mr Slater’s family, who flew to Tenerife, continued their search for him after police said official efforts were ceasing

Yet the Guardia Civil later said it had continued efforts to locate him.

A family source told The Sun that Mr Slater’s mother was “completely devastated”. 

They added: “It’s the news they’ve all been dreading. She has a lot of questions which she hopes will be answered in the coming days.

“It hasn’t completely sunk in yet. The hardest thing for her is to hear he was found so close to the original search site. It’s hard to take.

“It means it’s entirely possible they have walked past his body whilst searching for him.

“It seems incredible so many people walked that area and yet he was so close. As we have seen with mountainous terrain and ravines, it does happen no matter how hard that is to believe.”

Funeral arrangements

Matthew Searle, from LBT Global, said the charity was working with the family to organise the return of Mr Slater’s remains to the UK.

He said: “The announcement does seem to confirm that Jay died of injuries consistent with an accidental fall from a considerable height. There will of course be many more hurdles for the family to face in the coming days and we will work with them to make this horrific time as easy as possible.

“We are working with the family now to sort out the next steps of taking Jay home, recovery of his belongings and laying him to rest back. We will not be releasing details of travel timings or funeral arrangements at this time and ask again for privacy for the family.

“I ask now that this is the end of all the hurtful comments on social media and elsewhere.”

Meanwhile, the remote valley where Jay was found was searched again by rescue teams on Tuesday, Sky News reported.

One local told the broadcaster that it was “exceptionally difficult” to safely navigate down the valley on foot.

Another resident said: “It is sad – the spot where they found him shows he had gone a long way into the ravine.

“It is hard to understand how he got there.”

More than half a million people joined a Facebook group where bizarre theories about Mr Slater’s disappearance were posted. Ms Duncan described them as “awful comments” that were “very distressing” for the family to read.

Some media commentators suggested the police had pretended to shut down the initial search in the hope that amateur detectives would pack up and go home.