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☆ Ukraine to Rally Support at Malta Talks, Sees No Cracks in Allied Backing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The talks, which do not involve Russia, will help gauge Ukraine and the West's ability to drum up continued and broader support, particularly in the Global South, as the conflict in Israel dominates headlines, moving the focus from Kyiv. China, which has maintained close economic and diplomatic ties with Russia during the war, attended the talks in Jeddah. Zhovkva said Kyiv still aimed to convene a Global Peace Summit this year. Johnson said on Thursday that he had concerns about Ukraine funding in general and he wanted to understand the "end game" in Ukraine. Separately, in Brussels, most EU leaders said on Friday they backed a plan to support Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($53 billion) over the next four years, though Hungary and Slovakia voiced reservations ahead of a decision the bloc needs to take unanimously in December.

Persons: Tom Balmforth, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Ihor, Zhovkva, Josep Borrell, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Zelenskiy, Mr Johnson, Andrew Gray, Giles Elgood Organizations: Kyiv, Reuters, Global, Union, Ukraine, United Nations, U.S . House Locations: Malta, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Kyiv, Jeddah, Copenhagen, Moscow, Beijing, China, Zhovkva, Zelenskiy, Turkey, Saudi, Qatar, South Africa, United States, Washington, Brussels, Hungary, Slovakia

☆ UK asks court to curb powers of COVID inquiry to see WhatsApp messages
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government on Friday asked London's High Court to stop a public inquiry into its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing it to hand over some internal WhatsApp messages. Britain's Cabinet Office refused to provide WhatsApp messages concerning the government's handling of the pandemic and other political issues earlier this month, saying some of the material sought was "unambiguously irrelevant". However, the Cabinet Office has brought a legal challenge over the inquiry's demands, which its lawyer James Eadie told the court was brought "with some considerable reluctance". Eadie added the WhatsApp messages contained references to personal and family information and "comments of a personal nature" about identifiable government figures. But lawyers representing Hallett said the limits the Cabinet Office sought to place on public inquiries' powers to compel the production of documents was "flawed and unworkable".

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, London's, Heather Hallett, Boris Johnson, James Eadie, Eadie, Hallett, Hugo Keith, Johnson, Keith, Mr Johnson, Sam Tobin, Paul Sandle Organizations: British, Thomson

☆ Factbox: UK Privileges Committee's findings about Boris Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

He has accused the privileges committee, a parliamentary standards body that has investigated Johnson, of mounting a "witch-hunt" and behaving like a "kangaroo court". The former prime minister said it was a lie to say he deliberately misled parliament and called the report a charade. Below are the main findings from the report into Johnson's behaviour:JOHNSON DELIBERATELY MISLED PARLIAMENTThe committee offered a damning verdict on Johnson's honesty and conduct, concluding that he had deliberately and repeatedly misled parliament. JOHNSON WOULD HAVE FACED 90-DAY SUSPENSION FROM PARLIAMENTThe Committee said it would have recommended a suspension of three months from the House of Commons for Johnson if he had not resigned. FIVE WAYS JOHNSON COMMITTED CONTEMPTS OF PARLIAMENTThe committee found that Johnson had committed five contempts of parliament.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Johnson, JOHNSON, CONTEMPTS, Mr Johnson, Scottish National Party –, Andrew MacAskill, William James, Angus MacSwan, Toby Chopra Organizations: CONTEMPTS OF, BE, PASS, Labour, Scottish National Party, Thomson Locations: British, COVID, Downing Street, Downing, Chequers

The findings amount to a historic admonishment of a former prime minister, who won a landslide electoral victory less than four years ago but saw his political career collapse amid a series of scandals. The committee dismissed Johnson's argument that he didn't know he was breaking his lockdown rules during the events. Johnson, in his own response to the report, called its publication a “dreadful day for democracy.”“This report is a charade. The former PM’s departure from the House of Commons is not necessarily good news for Sunak, whom Johnson criticized in his resignation statement. Johnson has always been an influential figure among Conservative voters, whether inside or outside of parliament.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Johnson “, Johnson, ” “, Johnson’s Conservative Party –, Rishi Sunak, Mr Johnson …, ”, Liz Truss, Sunak Organizations: London CNN — Former British, Downing, Johnson’s Conservative Party, Commons, Conservative Locations: Downing Street

☆ Ex-PM Boris Johnson deliberately misled UK parliament over parties during Covid, committee rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A U.K. parliamentary committee has found that former U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson intentionally misled parliament over illegal Covid-19 lockdown parties held during his tenure. Former U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson intentionally misled parliament over illegal Covid-19 lockdown parties held during his tenure, a parliamentary committee said Thursday, describing it as a "serious contempt." "We conclude that in deliberately misleading the House, Mr Johnson committed a serious contempt," the findings of the cross-party committee showed. "There is no precedent for a Prime Minister having been found to have deliberately misled the House," it added. It also said that, if Johnson were still a member of parliament, he should be suspended from the House for 90 days.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Johnson, Mr Johnson Organizations: Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservative

The more than 100-page report detailed six events held at Downing Street, the prime minister's offices and residence. There is no precedent for a prime minister having been found to have deliberately misled the House (of Commons, lower house of parliament)." It recommended that he should not be entitled to a former member's pass, which enables most former prime ministers and lawmakers to gain automatic access to parliament. But so-called Partygate spelt the beginning of the end for his tenure as prime minister. They have also rowed this week over the former prime minister's resignation honours list.

Persons: Johnson, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Mr Johnson, Sunak, Thangam Debbonaire, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, Kylie MacLellan, Muvija, William James, Kate Holton, Frank Jack Daniel, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Conservatives, Downing, Street, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: COVID

"It is clear from that investigation that there is no evidence at all that supports an allegation that I intentionally or recklessly misled the House," said Johnson. The committee is due to question Johnson in person when he provides oral evidence in a televised session on Wednesday. At the centre of the inquiry into his actions are statements Johnson made to parliament in December 2021 when he said no rules were broken. In an interim report published this month, the committee said Johnson might have misled parliament on four occasions and said the rule-breaking should have been "obvious" to him. Conservative lawmaker James Duddridge, a Johnson supporter, said on Twitter he believed the former premier's submission showed he had not intentionally misled parliament.

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - British former Prime Minister Boris Johnson will give evidence later this month to an inquiry into whether he intentionally misled parliament about illegal parties at his Downing Street office and residence during COVID-19 lockdowns. "Mr Johnson has accepted the Committee's invitation to give oral evidence in public in the week beginning 20 March," the Committee of Privileges said in a statement. He argues he was not aware that any of the events taking place at Downing Street broke COVID-19 rules. 'OBVIOUS'The committee said the evidence "strongly suggests that breaches of guidance would have been obvious" to Johnson at the time he was at the gatherings. There is evidence that those who were advising Johnson were concerned he was breaking the rules, it added.

☆ Michael Bloomberg apologises for Boris Johnson speech criticising China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg speaks with participants prior to a meeting with Earthshot prize winners and finalists at the Glasgow Science Center during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 2, 2021. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoBEIJING, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Michael Bloomberg apologised last week at a business forum hosted by the news agency he founded for remarks by British former Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticising China as autocratic. "Some may have been insulted or offended last night by parts of the speaker’s remarks referencing certain countries and their duly elected leaders," Bloomberg said in remarks posted on Twitter. A spokesman for Bloomberg LP, which includes Bloomberg News and where Michael Bloomberg is the CEO, declined to comment to Reuters. Johnson, who stepped down as Britain's leader in September, had sharply criticised China's and Russia's political system and leaders in his Wednesday speech.

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