U.K.: Omicron Spreading Quickly; Time To Work From Home Again
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced tighter restrictions Wednesday, urging people in England to again work from home.
LEARN MOREBritish PM Boris Johnson Accused Of Breaking COVID-19 Lockdown
The prime minister is accused of hosting a garden party in 2020 amid a nationwide lockdown that lawfully barred Britons from gathering.
British PM Boris Johnson Accused Of Breaking COVID-19 Lockdown
Jack Hill / Pool via AP
January 11, 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a wave of public and political outrage on Tuesday over allegations that he and his staff flouted coronavirus lockdown rules by holding a garden party in 2020 while Britons were barred by law from meeting up with more than one person outside their households.
Opposition politicians called for a police investigation after broadcaster ITV published a leaked email invitation to "socially distanced drinks" in the garden of the prime minister's Downing Street office and residence. The email from the prime minister's private secretary, Martin Reynolds, was sent to dozens of people and urged attendees to "bring your own booze."
The event was scheduled for May 20, 2020 — the same day the government held a televised news conference to remind people that group gatherings were banned indoors and out. London's Metropolitan Police force also published a reminder that day.
Johnson has insisted he personally broke no rules, but British media reported Tuesday that the prime minister and his wife, Carrie Johnson, attended the garden gathering.
Outrage is mounting since this is not the first time Johnson's Conservative government has been accused of flouting pandemic rules that imposed the most severe restrictions on Britons' individual freedoms since World War II.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
5:29
Zelenskyy tells UK ‘freedom will win,’ pushes for warplanes
This was was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's second confirmed journey outside Ukraine since Russia invaded nearly a year ago.
By Peter Nicholls/Pool via AP0:44
UK nurses, ambulance crews strike, straining health system
Unions are seeking a pay raise for the current year, but the government says it will only talk about the year ahead.
By Frank Augstein / APFormer Israeli PM: Putin promised not to kill Zelenskyy
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became one of the few Western leaders to meet President Vladimir Putin during the war.
By Tsafrir Abayov / APTop Stories
3:37
AI-powered walking sticks could help those who are visually impaired
Researchers say the walking stick is still years away from being available to the public.
By Scripps NewsTyre Nichols documents: Officer never explained stop to him
Emerging reports say the officers who pulled Tyre Nichols from his car never told him why he was being stopped.
By City of Memphis / AP3:06
A Syrian American couple helps with aid after deadly earthquake
A Syrian American couple are now leading relief efforts in the aftermath of one of the deadliest earthquakes of the century.
By Emrah Gurel / AP