LIVE UPDATES Tracking Hurricane Milton: Storm becomes world's strongest of 2024
After reaching peak intensity with wind speeds of 180 m.p.h. (285 km/h) on Monday night, Milton became the strongest storm on our planet for 2024.
British lawmakers have ordered a parliamentary investigation into Prime Minister Boris Johnson for allegedly lying about whether he broke coronavirus restrictions by attending illegal gatherings during the pandemic.
The move, approved by cries of 鈥渁ye鈥 and without a formal vote in the House of Commons, means Parliament's Committee of Privileges will investigate whether Johnson knowingly misled Parliament -- historically a resigning offense if proven.
The probe piles more pressure on a Conservative prime minister whose grip on power has been shaken by claims he flouted the pandemic rules he imposed on the country, then repeatedly failed to own up to it.
The move was instigated by the opposition Labour Party and passed after the government abandoned efforts to get Conservative lawmakers to block it.
Johnson was fined 50 pounds (US$66) by police last week for attending a party in his office in June 2020.
THIS IS A BREAKING 麻豆影视 UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below.
LONDON (AP) - British lawmakers looked likely Thursday to order an investigation into Prime Minister Boris Johnson for allegedly lying about whether he broke coronavirus restrictions by attending illegal gatherings during the pandemic.
The move would put more pressure on a Conservative prime minister whose grip on power has been shaken by claims he flouted the pandemic rules he imposed on his country and then repeatedly failed to own up to it.
The opposition Labour Party has called a House of Commons vote that, if passed, would trigger a watchdog committee probe of Johnson for allegedly misleading Parliament. Ministers found to have knowingly misled Parliament are generally expected to resign.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said his measure sought to uphold 鈥渢he simple principle that honesty, integrity and telling the truth matter in our politics.鈥
鈥淚t is a British principle ... guiding members from every political party in this House,鈥 Starmer said. 鈥淏ut it is a principle under attack.鈥
Johnson's Conservatives have a substantial majority in Parliament, but many lawmakers are uneasy with the prime minister's behavior and could support the opposition move. The government initially said it would order Conservative lawmakers to oppose Labour's motion, but later backtracked in the face of party disquiet and gave them a free vote - significantly raising the chances the measure will pass.
Johnson wasn't attending the vote on a scandal that has rocked his leadership of the country and the Conservative Party. He was more than 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) away in India, insisting he wanted to 鈥済et on with the job鈥 of leading the country.
Johnson was fined 50 pounds ($66) by police last week for attending his own birthday party in his office in June 2020, when people in Britain were barred from meeting up with friends and family, or even visiting dying relatives. Johnson is the first British prime minister ever found to have broken the law while in office.
He has apologized, but denied he knowingly broke the rules. Johnson's shifting defense - initially saying there were no illegal gatherings, then claiming it 鈥渄id not occur to me鈥 that the birthday event was a party - has drawn derision and outrage from opponents, who have called for him to quit.
鈥淭he truth is simple and it's this - he lied to avoid getting caught, and once he got caught, he lied again,鈥 Scottish National Party lawmaker Ian Blackford said in the House of Commons.
Usually lawmakers are forbidden from accusing one another of lying, but Blackford was not reprimanded by the Speaker.
A growing number of Conservatives are uncomfortable about defending a leader who broke rules he imposed on the country. Until now, many have indicated they will wait and see whether public anger translates into losses for the party at local elections on May 5.
A few have called openly for Johnson to go, and the number is growing.
鈥淚t is utterly depressing to be asked to defend the indefensible,鈥 said Conservative legislator William Wragg. 鈥淓ach time part of us withers.鈥
Lawmaker Steve Baker, until now a prominent supporter of Johnson, said that Johnson 鈥渟hould be long gone鈥 for violating the 鈥渓etter and spirit鈥 of the rules.鈥
鈥淚'll certainly vote for this motion,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut really, the prime minister should just know the gig's up.鈥
If lawmakers vote to send Johnson's case to Parliament's Committee of Privileges, the probe will not start until twin police and civil-service investigations into 鈥減artygate鈥 have concluded.
Senior civil servant Sue Gray is investigating 16 events, including 鈥渂ring your own booze鈥 office parties and 鈥渨ine time Fridays鈥 in Johnson's 10 Downing St. office and other government buildings. Police are probing a dozen of the events and so far have handed out at least 50 fines, including those to Johnson, his wife Carrie and Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, and Johnson could still face more police fines.
Johnson and his allies argue that it would be reckless for the country to change leaders now amid the war in Ukraine and a cost-of-living squeeze sparked by soaring prices for energy and food.
As he flew out to India for a two-day visit focused on boosting economic ties, Johnson again denied knowingly misleading Parliament and insisted he would lead the Conservatives into the next national election, due by 2024.
He said aboard his plane to the western Indian state of Gujarat that there might be 鈥渟ome imaginary circumstances in which I might have to resign, but I don't propose to go into them. I can't think of them right now.鈥
After reaching peak intensity with wind speeds of 180 m.p.h. (285 km/h) on Monday night, Milton became the strongest storm on our planet for 2024.
Hurricane Milton is expected to leave a path of devastation across central Florida, from Tampa in the west to Daytona Beach in the east.
A seasoned American meteorologist became emotional on air as he gave an update on a major hurricane, later suggesting the reason behind his strong reaction.
The minority Liberal government is not considering proroguing Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday, despite persisting uncertainty over who is willing to keep propping them up and procedural wrangling over a Conservative led-privilege debate.
The Ontario Ministry of Health says four people have been sickened after consuming beef tongue believed to be contaminated with listeria.
Former cabinet minister Marc Garneau, who describes himself in his new book as always-a-Liberal, 'but a decidedly blue one,' says he hopes the party still has room for someone like him.
The renewed pleas of people in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. for government to take action cleaning up contamination in their community have reached the ears of federal Transport Minister Anita Anand.
Emotions boiled over after a judge acquitted two out of three defendants in a manslaughter case, while the third accused has since died.
On September 11, Madeleine Gervais was the victim of a theft in Ottawa's west end. It happened in the Loblaws parking lot in College Square, when she was approached by a man and a woman who insisted to help her load her groceries into her car.
A B.C. couple is getting desperate 鈥 and creative 鈥 in their search for their missing dog.
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the 鈥楤atman of Amherst,鈥 always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi鈥檚 Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
Manitobans are in cleanup mode after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province this weekend.
Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.
A gargantuan gourd 鈥 affectionately named 鈥極rangina鈥 by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home 鈥 earned the massive honour of being named B.C.鈥檚 heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.