England

LONDON (AP) — A U.K. parliamentary committee is meeting Monday to conclude its inquiry into whether former Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled lawmakers over parties at his Downing Street office that breached COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

Members of Parliament’s Privileges Committee have pledged to continue with the investigation into Johnson’s conduct after he unexpectedly quit as a lawmaker on Friday and angrily accused political opponents of driving him out in a “witch hunt.”

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.”

LONDON (AP) — Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson left chaos in his wake Saturday after quitting Parliament with a blast at fellow lawmakers he accused of ousting him in a “witch hunt.”

As opponents jeered, the Conservative government absorbed the shock of yet another Johnson earthquake, while a band of loyal supporters insisted Britain’s divisive ex-leader could still make a comeback. Two Johnson allies joined him in quitting the House of Commons, piling pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

LONDON, June 9 (Xinhua) -- The de-dollarization process has accelerated especially after Washington imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow following the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, the London-based The New Arab news website has reported.

"The question is about when, not if, the hegemony of the U.S. dollar will end, with more countries across the Global South seeking alternatives," said the report on Wednesday.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the West's response marked "a major turning point" in the movement against the U.S. dollar, it said.

LONDON (AP) — Several dozen allies of former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson received honors from King Charles III on Friday, a list that drew cries of cronyism from opponents of the ousted leader.

“Resignation honors,” bestowed by the monarch but chosen by the government, are an established but contentious way for departing leaders to reward loyal lieutenants.

LONDON, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China Southern Airlines on Wednesday inaugurated a new direct flight service linking London and Beijing.

The newly opened route operates one flight daily, departing from Heathrow Airport at 10:30 p.m. local time and landing at the Beijing Daxing International Airport after approximately 10 hours of flying.

Upon arrival at the Daxing airport, passengers can connect with flights to various cities in China, such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Chongqing and Changsha, as well as international destinations like Tokyo, Osaka, Tashkent and more.

June 7 (Reuters) - Britain plans to launch a pilot programme exploring how new weekly weight-loss shots such as Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) Wegovy can be given to obese patients by general practitioners even as the drug's market launch remains unclear.

LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - Prince Harry launched a fierce attack on the "vile" press on Tuesday, blaming tabloids for destroying his adolescence and later relationships, as he gave evidence for almost five hours in his lawsuit against a tabloid publisher.

As he became the first senior British royal to appear in a witness box in more than a century, Harry also said the thought of people unlawfully intruding into the private life of his late mother Princess Diana made him "feel physically sick".

LONDON (AP) — The European Union is pushing online platforms like Google and Meta to step up the fight against false information by adding labels to text, photos and other content generated by artificial intelligence, a top official said Monday.

EU Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said the ability of a new generation of AI chatbots to create complex content and visuals in seconds raises “fresh challenges for the fight against disinformation.”

LONDON (AP) — The United States and Europe are drawing up a voluntary code of conduct for artificial intelligence, a top European Union official said Wednesday, as the developing technology triggers warnings about the risks it poses to humanity and growing calls for regulation.