Tag Archives: Britain

The Times Of London reports: President Trump personally contacted Boris Johnson to ask for help as he tried to discredit the Mueller investigation into possible connections between Russia and his 2016 election campaign, The Times understands. Mr Trump also contacted the leaders of countries including Australia and Ukraine to ask them to help William Barr, his attorney-general, to gather evidence …

CNN reports: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been referred to a police watchdog over his alleged relationship with an American businesswoman when he was mayor of London. On Friday, the Greater London Authority (GLA) said in a statement that it has asked the Independent Office for Police Conduct to assess whether it is necessary to investigate Johnson for the …

The BBC reports: Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful, the Supreme Court has ruled. Mr Johnson suspended – or prorogued – Parliament for five weeks earlier this month, but the court said it was wrong to stop MPs carrying out duties in the run-up to Brexit on 31 October. Supreme Court president Lady Hale said “the effect on …

CNN International reports: British tour operator Thomas Cook collapsed Sunday night, stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers and putting 21,000 jobs at risk. The 178-year-old company said in a statement that its board “concluded that it had no choice but to take steps to enter into compulsory liquidation with immediate effect” after talks on a financial rescue failed. All Thomas …

The Guardian reports: Companies across Britain have begun stockpiling beer, wine and spirits to keep the alcohol flowing at Christmas as concerns grow that Brexit could disrupt supplies over the festive period. Rushing to bring forward their imports, firms warn that the Brexit deadline on 31 October stands to clash with the run-up to Christmas, when import volumes rise, temporary …

The Independent reports: Top EU leaders have given Boris Johnson an ultimatum to come up with a new Brexit plan by the end of September, or face up to a no-deal. The deadline, agreed at a meeting in Paris on Wednesday evening, comes as the bloc’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier told Mr Johnson to stop “pretending” to negotiate. On Wednesday …

The Associated Press reports: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has compared himself to the Incredible Hulk in a newspaper interview emphasizing his determination to take Britain out of the European Union next month. The prime minister faces considerable legal and political hurdles but told the Mail on Sunday he will meet the Oct. 31 deadline no matter what. “The madder …

The Independent report: Former Welsh rugby captain Gareth Thomas has revealed he is HIV positive – and hopes coming forward with his diagnosis can help break the stigma for others living with the virus. Thomas is thought to be the first UK sportsman to go public about living with the condition, and has revealed that he was driven to suicidal …

The BBC reports: Boris Johnson’s suspension of the UK Parliament is unlawful, Scotland’s highest civil court has ruled. A panel of three judges at the Court of Session found in favour of a cross-party group of politicians who were challenging the prime minister’s move. The judges said the PM was attempting to prevent Parliament holding the government to account ahead …

The Guardian reports: There were extraordinary scenes of chaos and anger in the House of Commons overnight as opposition MPs staged a protest against the suspension of parliament for five weeks – a prorogation that the Speaker of the House said represented “an act of executive fiat”. As John Bercow began proceedings to prorogue parliament, a group of opposition MPs …

The Washington Post reports: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s dreams of an election that would clear his path to Brexit by the end of October were decisively dashed after midnight Tuesday morning, leaving him with no obvious means of making good on his vow of a “do or die” exit from the European Union. The latest obstacle to Johnson’s plans …

Courthouse News reports: The Netherlands has seen a fivefold increase in British investments as the deadline approaches for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, according to the Dutch government. Following the Brexit referendum in 2016, wherein the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, British investment in Dutch businesses has increased sharply. The U.K. is set to …

The Associated Press reports: Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted Monday that a new Brexit deal can be reached to ensure Britain leaves the European Union by the Oct. 31 deadline, as he prepared to suspend Parliament and send rebellious lawmakers home until two weeks before the country is supposed to leave the bloc. Lawmakers used the hours before the suspension …

The Economist reports: When the food riots start, says Linda, a university administrator from Brighton, “I plan to watch them on TV enjoying a nice puttanesca whipped up from the Brexit cupboard.” Often included on no-deal-Brexit recipe lists, the fiery pasta dish from Naples requires nothing fresh. From her stash of tins and frozen veg, Linda is self-sufficient for up …

The BBC reports: Jo Johnson, the younger brother of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is resigning as an MP and minister, saying he is “torn between family loyalty and the national interest”. The business minister and Tory MP for Orpington, south-east London, cited an “unresolvable tension” in his role. Mr Johnson voted Remain in the 2016 EU membership referendum, while his …

The Guardian reports: Boris Johnson’s bid to trigger a general election next month has been blocked by MPs following a string of heavy defeats for the government in both houses of parliament. Immediately afterwards, the prime minister called Jeremy Corbyn, “the first leader of the opposition in the democratic history of our country to refuse the invitation to an election”. …

The Guardian reports: Boris Johnson’s first Prime Minister’s Questions was immediately embroiled in controversy after footage appeared to show him gesticulating towards Jeremy Corbyn, saying: “Call an election, you great big girl’s blouse.” The theme of the exchanges between the two had centred around the Labour leader asking Johnson to publish details of the government’s no-deal planning documents, while the …

Sky News reports: Former chancellors, Winston Churchill’s grandson and the current longest-serving MP have all been sacked from the Conservative Party for rebelling against the government in a bid to avoid a no-deal Brexit. The 21 Conservative MPs – many of them decades-long Tory loyalists – helped inflict defeat on Boris Johnson in his first major vote since becoming prime …

The Associated Press reports: Boris Johnson has launched a bid for an early general election after he suffered a humiliating defeat in the Commons today as MPs voted for a bill that could allow them to block a no-deal Brexit. Mr Johnson accused Parliament of being “on the brink of wrecking any deal” with Brussels after MPs handed control of …

The Scotland Herald reports: The pound has slumped to its lowest level against the US dollar since 1985, surpassing a previous 2017 low to be worth less than 1.20 dollars. The present weakness has been caused by jittery markets as MPs return from summer recess and the chances of a general election rising, causing more Brexit uncertainty and angst. Rebel …