Boris Johnson withdrew from the race to become Britain's next prime minister, following the resignation of Liz Truss.
"In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative party leadership," Johnson said in a statement. "But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament."
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation 44 days since taking over for Boris Johnson. She will be the shortest-serving prime minister in Britain's history.
In a public address in front of 10 Downing Street, Truss said, "I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party." She said she would remain party leader and prime minister until her successor is chosen next week.
In a White House statement, President Biden acknowledged the resignation, saying, "I thank Prime Minister Liz Truss for her partnership on a range of issues including holding Russia accountable for its war against Ukraine. We will continue our close cooperation with the U.K. government."
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The Queen of England has died, according to the royal family, which wrote in a tweet, "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon," adding, "The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow." The same message fronts the official website of the royal family.
In a statement, newly King Charles said, "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."
References
- @RoyalFamilytwitter.com
- The British Monarchyroyal.uk
- @RoyalFamilytwitter.com
Statement from King Charles III
The World Meteorological Organization announced that temperatures in the UK are forecast to reach 40°C for the first time.
Additionally, the UK's Met Office has issued the first ever Red warning for exceptional heat, signaling a national emergency.
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- The first Red Extreme heat warning issued in UKpublic.wmo.int
- Heat-Health Alertmetoffice.gov.uk
In remarks made outside of 10 Downing Street, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his immediate resignation as Conservative Party leader after recent scandals led to a wave of resignations from his top officials. He said he is also resigning as prime minister, but will hold the post until a successor is in place.
In the resignation speech, Johnson highlighted his achievements during his three-year tenure, including "getting Brexit done," his pandemic response and his handling of the war in Ukraine. Still, he said, "It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader."
"I want to tell you how sorry I am to be giving up the best job in the world," Johnson said to a crowd. "But them's the breaks."
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The heads of the FBI and the UK's MI5 appeared jointly to warn against Chinese corporate espionage and threats to cybersecurity. FBI Director Christopher Wray and MI5 Director General Ken McCallum explained the potential damage to an audience of business and academic leaders in London.
They stressed that the Chinese government has a long history of hacking and stealing proprietary information. They urged business leaders to work with their agencies to protect corporate secrets and innovation from theft.
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The British government released its findings of a special investigation into government parties attended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff while the UK was under COVID-19 lockdown and citizens were barred from socializing.
Investigating 16 gatherings over a 20-month period, the report found that many of them should not have been allowed to happen and "represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time."
The report, which noted that disciplinary action was not within its scope, was delayed due to a separate police investigation released last week that resulted in 126 fines to 83 people involved in the parties.
Boris Johnson made a statement in the House of Commons regarding the report, saying he takes "full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch." He concluded that he wants to "move on and focus on the priorities of the British people."
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- FINDINGS OF SECOND PERMANENT SECRETARY'S INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED GATHERINGS ON GOVERNMENT PREMISES DURING COVID RESTRICTIONSassets.publishing.service.gov.uk
Full report (PDF)
- Met's investigation into alleged breaches of Covid regulationsnews.met.police.uk
- Prime Minister's Questions and Statementparliamentlive.tv
Statement begins at 12:42:50
The UK's Foreign Secretary announced "a full asset freeze and travel ban on seven of Russia’s wealthiest and most influential oligarchs, whose business empires, wealth and connections are closely associated with the Kremlin." The list includes Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea Football Club, and billionaire industrialist Oleg Deripaska. To date, the UK has sanctioned over 200 high-value Russian individuals, entities and subsidiaries since the invasion of Ukraine began.
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The U.S. State Department issued a statement on behalf of the 21 members of the international Media Freedom Coalition, which includes the United States and the United Kingdom, denouncing Chinese attacks on freedom of the press and suppression of independent local media in Hong Kong. "We urge Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities to respect freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Hong Kong," read the statement, "in line with the Basic Law and China’s obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration."
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The London Metropolitan Police announced that it had begun a criminal investigation into parties held by Boris Johnson despite COVID-19 regulations in the UK. “I can confirm that the Met is now investigating a number of events that took place at Downing Street and Whitehall in the last two years in relation to potential breaches of COVID-19 regulations,” the police commissioner said during a press conference.
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The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office announced it had obtained information that indicated Russia is planning to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine. The statement says Yevhen Murayev, a former member of the Ukrainian parliament, is being considered as a candidate.
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President Biden has appointed ambassadors to Brazil, The United Kingdom, Chad, and Denmark as well as new assistant secretaries for the Department of Energy, National Council on the Humanities, and the SIPC.
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The Queen has stripped Prince Andrew of all royal and military titles and affiliations because of the civil case against him in New York. He will no longer be known as "prince" and will defend himself as a private citizen.
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- The Tweettwitter.com
Prince Andrew will face civil sexual assault charges in the Southern District of New York following Ghislaine Maxwell's case. Prince Andrew has denied the charges against him.
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- The Court Documentnysd.uscourts.gov
A new report from the United Kingdom Health Security Agency suggests that the Omicron Variant may be less likely to result in hospitalization for most patients. The report points to a 40% lower hospitalization rate for cases of Omicron as compared to the Delta Variant.
References
- The Reportassets.publishing.service.gov.uk
The United Kingdom recorded a record number of daily COVID-19 cases, 78,610, surpassing the previous record set in January. More than 11 million people have tested positive for the virus in the UK since the onset of the coronavirus.
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- @UKHSAtwitter.com
Health officials in Britain announced that they've detected the first known cases of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron (formerly B.1.1.529), discovered just days ago in South Africa. In response, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced updated guidance, including that any person entering the UK must self-isolate until receiving a negative result from a PCR test taken within 48 hours of arrival.
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The U.K. Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization have advised that "in addition to those aged over 50 years and at higher risk from coronavirus (COVID-19), all adults aged 40 to 49 years should be offered an mRNA booster, 6 months after their second dose, irrespective of the vaccines given for the first and second doses."
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The United Kingdom is facing a nationwide fuel shortage due to a lack of drivers limiting delivery. The UK army, about 150 qualified drivers, is on standby to help relieve the shortage. The government has also temporarily suspended competition laws between oil companies and granted 5,000 temporary visas to foreign fuel tankers.
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The Biden Administration has announced the United State's participation in a new trilateral agreement known as AUKUS. The group, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia is focused on security in the Indo-Pacific region. The plan also includes further collaboration in both the nation's navies as well as nuclear infrastructure. Prime Minister Morrison of Australia described the agreement as "a partnership where our technology, our scientists, our industry, our defense forces are all working together to deliver a safer and more secure region that ultimately benefits all."
The first project for the new alliance is "to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet" to Australia over the next 18 months. Officials have stated that this will not include a nuclear arsenal or a civil nuclear capacity.
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A study from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sponsored by the UN, projected that the planet will cross a pivotal temperature threshold, 1.5° (Celsius), as early as 2030 — nearly a decade sooner than previously predicted. The report calls the connection between global warming and human activity "unequivocal."
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The Met Office, the UK's national weather service, issued its first-ever Amber Extreme Heat Warning covering much of the country's west as Northern Ireland recorded its highest temperature on record.
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- Extreme heat warning issued for western areasmetoffice.gov.uk