FILE - Nicola Sturgeon speaks during a press conference at Bute House in Edinburgh, Wednesday, Feb. 15 2023. (Jane Barlow/Pool photo via AP, File)
LONDON (AP) — Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who dominated politics in Scotland for almost a decade, was arrested Sunday by police investigating the finances of the governing, pro-independence Scottish National Party.
Police Scotland said a 52-year-old woman was detained “as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.”
“The woman is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives,” the force said, without naming Sturgeon. British police do not identify suspects until they are charged.
A spokesperson for Sturgeon said the former first minister voluntarily attended an interview with police and would cooperate with the force’s investigation.
The SNP said the party had been “cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so. However it is not appropriate to publicly address any issues while that investigation is ongoing.”
Scottish police opened an investigation in 2021 into how more than 600,000 pounds ($754,000) designated for a Scottish independence campaign was spent.
FILE – Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband and current chief executive officer of the Scottish National Party Peter Murrel on June 3, 2022. (Henry Nicholls, Pool Photo via AP, File)
Two former SNP officials, Colin Beattie, who was treasurer, and Peter Murrell, who was chief executive, were previously arrested and questioned as part of the investigation. Neither has been charged.
Murrell is Sturgeon’s husband, and police searched the couple’s home in Glasgow after his arrest in April.
Sturgeon unexpectedly resigned in February after eight years as Scottish National Party leader and first minister of Scotland’s semi-autonomous government. She said then that she knew “in my head and in my heart” that it was the right time for her, her party and her country to make way for someone else.
The first female leader of Scotland’s devolved government, Sturgeon led her party to dominance in Scottish politics and refashioned the SNP from a largely one-issue party into a dominant governing force with liberal social positions.
She guided her party during three U.K.-wide elections and two Scottish elections, and led Scotland through the coronavirus pandemic, winning praise for her clear, measured communication style.
But Sturgeon left office amid divisions in the SNP and with her main goal — independence from the U.K. for the nation of 5.5 million people — unmet.
FILE – Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon poses for the media with husband Peter Murrell, outside polling station in Glasgow, Scotland, on Dec. 12, 2019.(AP Photo/Scott Heppell, File)
Scottish voters backed remaining in the U.K. in a 2014 referendum that was billed as a once-in-a-generation decision. The party wants a new vote, but the U.K. Supreme Court has ruled that Scotland can’t hold one without London’s consent. The central government has refused to authorize another referendum.
Sturgeon’s departure unleashed a tussle for the future of the SNP amid recriminations over the party’s declining membership and divisions over the best path towards independence. Opinion polls suggest support for the party has sagged, though it remains the most popular in Scotland.
An acrimonious leadership contest to replace her saw contenders feud over tactics and Sturgeon’s legacy, particularly a bill she introduced to make it easier for people to legally change gender. It was hailed as a landmark piece of legislation by transgender rights activists, but faced opposition from some SNP members who said it ignored the need to protect single-sex spaces for women
First Minister Humza Yousaf, who won the party contest in March, told the BBC before Sturgeon’s arrest that the SNP had been through “some of the most difficult weeks our party has probably faced, certainly in the modern era.”
“I know there will be people, be it our opposition, be it the media, that have somehow written the SNP off already,” he said. “They do that at their own peril.”
FILE - The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at SEC headquarters, June 19, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — First came the crypto winter, then the alleged fraud wrought by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, and now the lawsuits.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed lawsuits last week against the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance and Coinbase, deepening tensions between the government and a volatile industry that has been marred by scandals and market meltdowns.
Binance and Coinbase are both alleged to have violated the law by operating as securities exchanges without registering their businesses with the SEC. Binance faces additional charges, along with its CEO, of diverting customer funds to a separate business, among other accusations. Most recently, the SEC asked a federal judge to freeze the assets of Binance’s U.S. platform.
FILE – The Binance app icon is seen on a smartphone, Feb. 28, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
The lawsuits are the latest in an ongoing tussle between government officials who describe the crypto industry as the ” Wild West,” and creators of digital assets who seek to legitimize cryptocurrency as a currency of the future.
Industry leaders say that, with their latest actions, U.S. regulators are more clearly signaling that they seek to ensure cryptocurrency has no room in the traditional financial system.
And leading regulators are more open about their thoughts on the merits of cryptocurrency. SEC Chair Gary Gensler told Bloomberg on Tuesday: “We don’t need more digital currency … we already have digital currency — it’s called the U.S. dollar.”
What results from the legal battle could greatly diminish the growth of the crypto industry or, alternatively, restrict the scope of the SEC’s regulatory authority.
Federica Pantana, an attorney at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron in New York who handles SEC cases, has been watching the episode unfold and is now clear with her crypto clients in the interim: “With the SEC taking a strong enforcement agenda, there is no question that firms have to take the view that crypto assets are securities and platforms that exchange these assets have to accept that.”
Whether companies that trade in crypto decide it makes business sense to register with the SEC, or drop their businesses all together, will determine the landscape of the industry in the future, Pantana said. The reverberations of the litigation could put some companies out of business, she said.
FILE – The Coinbase app icon is shown, April 13, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
The crypto industry already knew it was under a tough spotlight from Washington’s regulators and politicians. The collapse of crypto prices last year as well as the demise of several notable crypto companies — including FTX — exposed investors to billions of dollars in losses. Gensler had repeatedly stated, both to Congress and in public appearances, that he believes the SEC has more than enough authority to regulate the industry.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC Wednesday that she’s “very supportive” of the SEC using the tools it has to protect consumers and investors.
Despite the increased scrutiny from regulators, the crypto industry was expecting Congress to eventually intervene and help legitimize the industry through new laws. Several bills were introduced last year by Democrats and Republicans that would have put crypto under the authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and made other products, including stable coins, more legitimate by standardizing what assets those products could hold.
Yellen said Wednesday that she sees “some holes in the system where additional regulation I think would be appropriate and we would like to work with Congress to see additional legislation passed.”
Crypto lobbyists now believe that those laws are more urgently needed to stop the SEC from moving forward with its lawsuits.
The most viable piece of legislation sits in the House Financial Services Committee, spearheaded by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who chairs the pane. The legislation was co-authored by Glenn Thompson, R-Penn., chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture.
Their discussion draft of legislation seeks to delineate agencies’ jurisdiction over certain digital assets and “strike the appropriate balance between consumer protection and encouraging responsible innovation,” McHenry said in a news release.
New legislation would grant digital-asset issuers an exemption from securities laws if they meet certain conditions and would exclude digital commodities and payment stablecoins from the definition of a security under the securities laws, among many other provisions.
“Congress has no choice but to thoughtfully move forward with legislation to clear up this confusion,” said Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association.
Perianne Boring, founder of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, one of the top lobbyists for the cryptocurrency industry, said the lawsuits the SEC filed against Binance and Coinbase are “arbitrary and capricious” and “the SEC’s vigorous enforcement in this space is politically motivated, opening up legal risk against SEC.”
She said Gensler’s public comments about the merits of cryptocurrency in the backdrop of the traditional financial system go outside the scope of his role as SEC chair to protect consumers and investors.
“They’re not a merit regulator,” Boring said.
Representatives from the SEC and White House did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.
__
FATIMA HUSSEIN reported from Washington & KEN SWEET reported from New York.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the men's singles final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Norway's Casper Ruud in three sets, 7-6, (7-1), 6-3, 7-5, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 11, 2023. Djokovic won his record 23rd Grand Slam singles title, breaking a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most by a man. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic made clear for years that this was his goal. What drove him. What inspired him. The biggest titles from his sport’s biggest stages were Djokovic’s main aim and now he finally stands alone — ahead of Rafael Nadal, ahead of Roger Federer, ahead of every man who ever has swung a racket.
If Djokovic could wait this long to hold this record, he certainly could wait for the half-hour or so it took to straighten out his strokes in the French Open final. And so, after a bit of a shaky start in thick, humid air and under foreboding charcoal clouds Sunday, he imposed himself. The opponent at Court Philippe Chatrier, Casper Ruud, never really stood a serious chance after that.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the men’s singles final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Norway’s Casper Ruud in three sets, 7-6, (7-1), 6-3, 7-5, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Djokovic earned his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam singles championship, breaking a tie with Nadal and moving three in front of the retired Federer, with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Ruud that really was not in doubt for most of its 3 hours, 13 minutes.
Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, puts this one alongside the French Open titles he earned in 2016 and 2021, making him the only man with at least three from each major event. He has won 10 trophies at the Australian Open, seven at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open.
American former football quarterback Tom Brady, up, second from left, watches the final match of the French Open tennis tournament between Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Norway’s Casper Ruud at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Also worth noting: Djokovic is again halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam — winning all four majors in one season — something no man has achieved since Rod Laver in 1969. Djokovic came close to pulling off that feat in 2021, when he won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon and made it all the way to the title match at the U.S. Open before losing to Daniil Medvedev.
Djokovic will resume that pursuit at Wimbledon, which begins on the grass of the All England Club on July 3.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, right, hugs Norway’s Casper Ruud after winning their final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
He has now clutched the trophy at 11 of the last 20 Slams, a remarkable run made even more so when considering that he did not participate in two majors during that span because he did not get vaccinated against COVID-19. Djokovic was deported from Australia in January 2021 before the Australian Open, and he was not allowed to fly to the United States ahead of last year’s U.S. Open under a rule that has since been lifted.
Getting to 23 not only sets the mark for men, but it also lets Djokovic equal Serena Williams, who wrapped up her career last year, for the most by anyone in the Open era, which began in 1968. Margaret Court won some of her all-time record of 24 Slam trophies in the amateur era.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic holds the trophy as he celebrates winning the men’s singles final match of the French Open tennis tournament. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
At 20 days past his 36th birthday, Djokovic is the oldest singles champion at Roland Garros, considered the most grueling of the majors because of the lengthy, grinding points required by the red clay, which is slower than the grass or hard courts underfoot elsewhere.
Nadal’s 22nd major arrived in Paris two days after he turned 36. He has been sidelined since January by a hip injury and had arthroscopic surgery on June 2.
As if all of that weren’t enough, Djokovic’s triumph on Sunday also means he will return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, replacing Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic already has spent more weeks at the top spot than any player — man or woman — since the inception of computerized tennis rankings a half-century ago.
It was Djokovic who eliminated Alcaraz in the semifinals on Thursday, wearing him down over two thrilling sets until the 20-year-old Spaniard’s body cramped up badly. Alcaraz continued to play, but the scores of the last two sets of the four-set match told the story: 6-1, 6-1.
This was the third Slam final in the past five events for Ruud, a 24-year-old from Norway, but he is now 0-3. He lost to Nadal at the French Open a year ago and to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open last September.
A Kazakh man was charged with attempting to murder a Russian man in Phuket.
Artur Legay, a 48-year-old Kazakh man, was charged with “attempt to murder, possession of firearms, and ammunition without permission” on June 11 by Phuket police.
Mr. Artur was apprehended by police on June 8 at Phuket International Airport as a suspect in the shooting of 44-year-old Russian Dmitry Aleynikov before noon on June 7.
Mr. Dmitry was shot four times around his chest while parking his car in front of a cafe he regularly visits in the Laguna Phuket area.
The Russian man was shot around his chest on June 7, 2023.The shooting spot was outside the cafe in the Laguna Phuket area.The gunman fired four shots through the windshield of the car.
According to CCTV footage, the assailant fled the scene on a motorcycle without a licence plate along Pa Sak-Ban Don Road, Choeng Thale Subdistrict, Thalang District, 700 metres from the shooting location, he paused at the construction site and threw his gun, jacket, sunglasses, gloves, and shoes into the swamp.
The forensics officers then search the swampy area for any evidence the gunman may have left behind. They found eyeglasses, gloves, and footwear at first.
The police officers search the swampy area for any evidence.The shoes that were found in the swamp
Later that day, officers discovered a motorbike with muddy wheels and footrests that the suspect had abandoned at the resort in Soi Pa Sak 1, Choeng Thale Subdistrict. This resort is approximately one kilometre from the location where the belongings of the gunman were dumped into the a swamp. A new licence plate was attached to the motorcycle.
Staff at the resort say that this motorbike was rented by a Kazakh customer. He had been staying at the resort since May 21, but he was two days behind on his payments. So, the police looked at the CCTV video again and decided that this Kazakh man looked like the person who shot the Russian man at the scene.
A motorbike with muddy wheels and footrests that the suspect had abandoned at the resort.
The next day, immigration officers at Phuket Airport discovered this individual about to depart. Consequently, he was detained based on an arrest warrant, although he has not yet been prosecuted. At that time, the weapon used in the offence was still missing.
The immigration officers at Phuket Airport detained the suspect on June 8, 2023.
The EOD police officers and Phuket Kusaldhamma Foundation staff discovered a firearm in the swamp on June 9 evening. It is a.38mm revolver with two spare bullets. The Kazakh individual was therefore charged and interrogated by police through an interpreter. He denied all charges and claimed innocence of any wrongdoing.
However, the authorities are confident in the evidence and will wait until the injured Russian man recovers before questioning him. Initially, it was believed that a conflict of interest led to the attempted murder.
EOD police on Friday night recovered the gun used by a Kazakh gunman who shot and seriously injured a Russian man.EOD police and Phuket Kusaldhamma Foundation staff spent two days in the swamp until they found the gun.
Pita Limjaroenrat, center, leader and PM candidate for Move Forward Party.
A farce, a charade, a travesty of justice, ludicrous, shambolic, and absurd – these are some of the words described the reactions of some Thais and foreigners upon learning that the Election Commission on Friday has consider to take up the case on whether Move Forward Party PM candidate Pita Limjaroenrat has violated Article 151 of the election laws by holding ITV media shares.
Article 151 criminalized anyone who applied to run for MP knowingly that he or she lacks the qualifications – and holding media shares disqualifies you. Pita could face between one to 10 years in prison, slapped with a fine between 20,000 to 200,000 baht, and banned from voting for 20 years. Basically Pita, who refers to himself as “PM elect” could be kept out of office for 20 years. He is still 42 but when he is back, he will be 62.
The intention of Article 151 was to prevent any candidate from unfairly using mass media to support them in elections and when they are in office. This makes sense.
Everyone knows that ITV has been defunct, not active as a mass media for 16 years and that Pita’s 42,000 shares, inherited from his late father, was insignificant. Yet it has not stopped the Election Commission from taking up the case. Why?
In a normal democratic society, this is just an ordinary part of the check-and-balance system. In Thailand, it is part of an elaborate scheme to prevent voters from choosing their own government, however.
All of the seven commissioners were selected and appointed by the very people who were in turn, selected and appointed by the military junta, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which was led by the junta and coup leader Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is still nine years after the coup, caretaker PM.
Meanwhile, neither the EC or the court has ever casted doubt that perhaps Prayut, as a former coup maker and junta leader should not be qualified to compete as a PM candidate – never. It is as if these people can only read the letter of the laws and not understanding the spirit of democratic system.
While some said the Pita’s case will drag on for years, since it will go to the Criminal Court, but once charged, Pita would have to vacate his (PM) post (if elected). “If elected” is a much bigger “if” now for many if not most of the 250-junta-appointed senators will likely cite the EC’s taking up of the case against Pita as a justification for not voting for Pita as PM.
If Pita’s supporters take to the streets, some rogue generals are more than ready to intervene and cite a clash between both sides as a pretext to stage yet another military coup. Army Chief Gen. Narongpan Jitkaewthae said just days before the May 14 general election that he cannot promise that the army will stay in the barracks if there is political turmoil.
The only way to defeat yet another possible coup attempt is to have enough people on the streets willing to be imprisoned – 100,000 or more, at least.
This is where Thailand found itself four nearly a month after the general election. The elaborate attempts to subvert the will of the people who casted their votes continue. It is as if those who seized control of the state in the 2014 coup and the men and women they appointed have no shame and the charade will continue to pretend that this is just a matter of the rule of law, and not the rule by law.
A Belarusian man had been missing for two days when a dog came out of the woods with one of his shoes. Then, a friend looked for him until he found his dead body.
At 4:15 p.m. on June 10, the police at Karon police station were told that the body of a foreign man had been found hanging from a tree on Moo 1, Patak Soi 20, Karon Subdistrict, Mueang District, Phuket Province, near the ridge of the dam.
When the body was examined, there were no wounds found. So, the forensic medicine doctor at Vachira Phuket Hospital told the foundation staff to bring the body back to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a more thorough autopsy. At the same time, the police call the embassy to tell his family that the body needs to be picked up for the religious service.
Mr. Alik, who is 24 years old and a friend of the dead man, said that Aleksandr, who was 26 and from Belarus, had been missing for two days and had not been found until today, when the dog took Alexander’s shoe from the hill forest. So he went out to find his friend, but when he got there, he saw that his friend had died. So he asked the local people to help him call the cops.
Mr.Alik revealed that his friend was suffering from depression. He had been hospitalised at Vachira Phuket Hospital for two weeks and just left the hospital on May 30. Before disappearing, he said that he had diarrhoea and asked to rest, but then disappeared.
Angel, a 9-year-old Thai-British girl who was encouraged by social media, has returned home after undergoing successful right eye surgery on June 8.
She will undergo the left eye operation next month.
Angel had been showing symptoms of diabetic retinopathy for two months. Initially, she did not dare tell her mother that she only saw blurry things and accidentally bumped into a door at her grandmother’s house.
Until one day she came home from playing with friends, and told her mother, “Mum, I can not see well.”
Angel has undergone the right eye operation successfully.
After checking, a doctor at the Bandung Crown Prince Hospital told that she needed and urgent surgery because she also had developed thyroid disease and a cataract.
Angel lives with her mother, Amporn Park, who is 45 years old in an unfinished one-storey house in Non-Sri Thong, Ban Chai Sub-District, Bandung District, Udon Thani Province. Her father left her and mother three years ago and has not contacted them since.
Angel’s mother has to bear the cost of supporting the family, including covering the cost of Angel’s visits to the doctor.
Angel arrived home on June 9, 2023.
Weeraphon Raksamerwong, an admin of the Ban Dung Update page who published Angel’s story, picked her up and took her home. On the way home, Angel said she was happy that she could see again and she hoped to back to school again, after missing since the beginning of the new semester in May.
“Thank you for all the encouragement that you all send to me. I will go to school. When I grow up, I want to be a teacher,” said Angel when the Ban Dung Update Facebook page broadcast live.
While parking at the convenience store, Angel can simply walk in and buy snacks and food, and when she arrived at her house, she rushed to see her own bed.It’s been shown that she can see well.
Manchester City's team captain Ilkay Gundogan lifts the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, June 11, 2023. Manchester City won 1-0. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
ISTANBUL (AP) — Manchester City won the Champions League title for the first time by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul’s Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadium on Saturday.
Rodri struck in the 68th minute to see the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners complete a treble of trophies this season.
Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan holds up the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, June 11, 2023. Manchester City defeated Inter Milan 1-0. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
While it is the first time City has won European soccer’s biggest club competition, it is the third time Pep Guardiola has lifted the trophy as a coach.
City triumphed despite losing inspirational midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to an injury in the first half.
Inter Milan’s Danilo D’Ambrosio, center left, duels for the ball with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, center right, during the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The victory means the club finally achieved its ambition of reaching the summit of European soccer, 15 years after Abu Dhabi’s ruling family transformed it into the richest teams in the world.
Owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan was in attendance to see City’s crowning moment. It was only the second time he has watched his team in person in 15 years.
Romelu Lukaku had the chance to score a late equalizer, but headed straight at Ederson from about four meters (yards) out.
Manchester City’s goalkeeper Ederson deflects the ball during the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic is dejected during the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
City’s winner came when Rodri collected Bernardo Silva’s cutback and fired through a crowded penalty box.
Manchester City’s Rodrigo celebrates at the end of the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 10, 2023. Manchester City won 1-0. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
The relief was unmistakeable as he raced towards City’s fans and slid on his knees in celebration.
Inter almost evened the score within minutes of that goal when Federico Dimarco hit the bar from close range.
He then looked like turning in the rebound, but saw his shot come back off teammate Lukaku.
Manchester City players celebrate at the end of the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A trombone player of the military band is carried out on a stretcher after a faint during the Colonel's Review, the final rehearsal of the Trooping the Colour, the King's annual birthday parade, at Horse Guards Parade in London, Saturday, June 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
LONDON (AP) — Several British soldiers were overcome by the heat on Saturday as they turned out in woolen tunics and bearskin hats to salute Prince William.
At least three guardsmen fainted during the military parade known as the Colonel’s Review, in which more than 1,400 soldiers of the Household Division and the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery were reviewed by the heir to the throne, who is honorary Colonel of the Welsh Guards.
A trombone player of the military band faints during the Colonel’s Review, the final rehearsal of the Trooping the Colour, the King’s annual birthday parade, at Horse Guards Parade in London, Saturday, June 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
The temperature in London on Saturday was due to hit 30 C (86 F).
Afterwards William tweeted: “A big thank you to every solider who took part in the Colonel’s Review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions but you all did a really good job.”
The event was a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour, an annual military parade held each June to mark the monarch’s official birthday. King Charles III will oversee the ceremony on June 17.
Britain’s Prince William attends the Colonel’s Review, the final rehearsal of the Trooping the Colour, the King’s annual birthday parade, at Horse Guards Parade in London, Saturday, June 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)A trombone player in the military band faints during the Colonel’s Review, the final rehearsal of the Trooping the Colour, the King’s annual birthday parade, at Horse Guards Parade in London, Saturday, June 10, 2023. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
FILE - Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to 10 Downing Street after meeting with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
LONDON (AP) — He was the mayor who reveled in the glory of hosting the 2012 London Olympics, and the man who led the Conservatives to a whopping election victory on the back of his mission to “get Brexit done.”
But Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister was marred by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and a steady stream of ethics allegations, from alcohol-fueled government parties that broke lockdown rules.
2001-2008: Serves as a member of Parliament in the House of Commons representing the constituency of Henley.
2008-2016: Serves as London mayor, overseeing 2012 London Olympics.
2016: Co-leader of the campaign to take Britain out of the European Union, in opposition to then-Prime Minister David Cameron, a fellow Conservative. Cameron resigns after voters approve Brexit in a national referendum on June 23, 2016.
Advocate to exit Europe Boris Johnson poses for a selfie photo before Thursday’s EU referendum vote, in Selby, north England, Wednesday June 22, 2016. Photo: Andrew Parsons / Associated Press
2016-2018: Serves as Foreign Secretary under Cameron’s successor, Prime Minister Theresa May. Johnson resigns in July 2018 in opposition to May’s strategy for a “soft” Brexit that would maintain close ties with the EU.
June 7, 2019: Theresa May resigns as Conservative Party leader over her failure to persuade Parliament to back the Brexit agreement she negotiated with the EU. The party is split between those who back May and hard-liners, led by Johnson, who are willing to risk a no-deal Brexit in order to wring concessions from the EU.
July 23, 2019: Johnson is elected Conservative Party leader in a vote by party members. He takes office as prime minister the next day, inheriting a minority government that relies on votes from Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party to pass legislation. Johnson insists Britain will leave the EU on Oct. 31, with or without a deal.
Aug. 28, 2019: Johnson announces he will shut down Parliament until mid-October, giving opponents less time to thwart a no-deal Brexit.
Britain’s Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson holds his dog Dilyn as he leaves after voting in the general election at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, London, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Sept. 3, 2019: Twenty-one rebel Conservative Party lawmakers support legislation requiring the government to seek an extension of Brexit negotiations if it can’t negotiate an agreement with the EU. The measure passes and the rebels are expelled from the party.
Sept. 5, 2019: Johnson asserts he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than ask the EU for another extension.
Sept. 24, 2019: U.K. Supreme Court rules government’s suspension of Parliament was unlawful.
Oct. 19, 2019: Johnson asks the EU to delay Brexit again. New deadline set for Jan. 31.
Nov. 6, 2019: Parliament is dissolved and early elections are set for mid-December as Johnson seeks a mandate for his Brexit strategy.
Britain’s Prime Minister and Conservative party leader Boris Johnson poses as he hammers a “Get Brexit Done” sign into the garden of a supporter, in Benfleet, east of London on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, (Ben Stansall/Pool Photo via AP)
Dec. 12, 2019: Johnson wins an 80-seat majority in the general election, giving him the backing to push through Brexit legislation. The victory makes Johnson the most electorally successful Conservative leader since Margaret Thatcher.
Jan. 23, 2020: The Brexit deal becomes law after approval by U.K. Parliament. European Parliament approves the deal six days later.
March 23, 2020: Johnson places U.K. in first lockdown due to COVID-19.
April 5, 2020: Johnson hospitalized and later moved to intensive care with COVID-19. He is released from the hospital on April 12, thanking the nurses who sat with him through the night to make sure he kept breathing.
Nov. 3-4, 2021: Johnson’s government orders Conservative lawmakers to support a change in ethics rules to delay the suspension of Owen Paterson, a Johnson supporter who had been censured for breaching lobbying rules. The measure passes. A day later, facing an angry backlash from lawmakers of all parties, Johnson reverses course and allows lawmakers to vote on Paterson’s suspension. Paterson resigns.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a press conference in London, Saturday Nov. 27, 2021, after cases of the new COVID-19 variant were confirmed in the UK. Photo: Hollie Adams / Pool via AP
Nov. 30, 2021: Allegations surface that government officials attended parties in government offices during November and December 2020 in violation of COVID-19 lockdown rules. The scandal grows to reports of more than a dozen parties. Johnson denies the allegations, but opposition leaders criticize the government for breaking the law as people across the country made sacrifices to combat the pandemic.
Dec. 8, 2021: Johnson authorizes investigation into the scandal, dubbed “Partygate.” Pressure builds for a leadership challenge, but fizzles.
Feb. 3, 2022: Johnson’s longtime aide, Munira Mirza, quits Downing Street, followed by three other top aides.
March 23: The government announces a mid-year spending plan that’s criticized for doing too little to help people struggling with the soaring cost of living. Then-Treasury chief Rishi Sunak refuses to delay a planned income tax increase or impose a windfall profits tax on oil and gas companies benefiting from rising energy prices.
From left, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrive at No 9 Downing Street for a media briefing on May 7, 2021. Photo: Toby Melville / PA via AP
April 9: Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, pledging a new package of military and economic support. The move helps bolster Johnson and his supporters, who argue the government should not focus on domestic political squabbles.
April 12: Johnson is fined 50 pounds ($63) for attending one of the lockdown parties. Opposition parties characterize him as the first U.K. prime minister in history shown to have broken the law while in office. Johnson apologizes but insists he didn’t know he was breaking the rules.
May 22,: Findings of the “Partygate” investigation are published, detailing 16 gatherings at Johnson’s home and office and other government offices between May 2020 and April 2021. The report details excessive drinking among some of Johnson’s staff, at a time when millions of people were unable to see friends and family.
May 26: The government reverses course on its tax decision on oil and gas companies and announces plans for a 25% windfall profits levy.
June 6: Johnson narrowly wins a vote of no confidence, with Conservative lawmakers voting 211—148 to back him. But the scale of the revolt — some 41% voted against him — shakes his grip on power.
FILE – Britain’sPrime Minister Boris Johnson reacts while leading a virtual news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, inside 10 Downing Street in central London on Jan. 26, 2021. (Justin Tallis/Pool via AP, File)
June 15: Christopher Geidt quits as ethics adviser to Johnson, accusing the Conservative government of planning to flout conduct rules.
June 24: Johnson’s Conservatives lose two former strongholds to opposition parties in special elections.
June 29: Parliament’s cross-party Privileges Committee issues a call for evidence for a probe into whether Johnson misled Parliament over lockdown parties.
June 30: Chris Pincher resigns as Conservative deputy chief whip amid allegations he assaulted two guests at a private members’ club in London. Previous sexual misconduct allegations emerge about Pincher. Questions swirl about whether Johnson knew about the claims when Pincher was given the job.
July 5: Johnson apologizes for his handling of the Pincher scandal and says he had forgotten about being told of the allegations. Two of Johnson’s most senior Cabinet ministers, Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, quit the government.
July 6: Some three dozen junior ministers resign from the government, attacking Johnson’s leadership.
July 7: Johnson resigns as Conservative Party leader, but plans to remain as prime minister while the leadership contest is held.
November 2022: Johnson begins stepping up speaking engagements that take him around the world from India to Nigeria to Singapore to the United States. During the current parliamentary term, he reports 2.7 million pounds ($3.4 million) for speaking engagements.
March 3, 2023: A U.K. parliamentary committee says evidence suggests Johnson repeatedly misled Parliament about his knowledge of lockdown-breaking parties at his Downing Street office.
FILE – Boris Johnson leaves his house in London, on March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
March 22: Johnson insists “hand on heart” that he never lied to lawmakers about rule-breaking government parties, mounting a robust defense at a hearing that could damage or even end his tumultuous political career.
June 9, 2023: Johnson resigns his parliamentary seat after receiving report on lockdown plans.
