The leading contender to become Britain's next prime minister is under pressure to address a visit police officers made to his London home after a reported quarrel with his girlfriend.
Boris Johnson has refused to comment on the incident early Friday, when police were called after a neighbor reported hearing shouting, screaming and banging from the home the Conservative Party politician shares with his partner, Carrie Symonds.
Asked about the incident during a Conservative forum on Saturday, Johnson said the public did not want to "hear about that kind of thing."
Conservative party leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt speaks during his visit to Peterhead in Scotland, Sunday June 23, 2019. The two final contenders for leadership of Britain's ruling Conservative Party, Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson will be put to a vote of party members nationwide, with the winner due to replace Prime Minister Theresa May as party leader and prime minister.(Michal WachucikPA via AP)
While police have said officers found no one in danger or evidence of illegal behavior, the visit continued to dominate British news headlines on Sunday.
The headline in the Sunday Express tabloid read. "Why won't Boris tell us what happened?"
Britain's Conservative party leadership candidate Boris Johnson talks during the first party hustings at the ICC in Birmingham, England, Saturday June 22, 2019. (AP PhotoRui Vieira)
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to outline his vision for Europe to become a more assertive global power against a backdrop of war in Ukraine and other security and economic challenges, in a speech on Thursday ahead of pivotal European Parliament elections in June.
The French president plans to focus on strategic and geopolitical issues in Europe, including defense, the economy, protecting the environment and safeguarding democracy, his advisers said. Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its third year, is expected to be the main theme of the speech Macron will deliver at Paris’ Sorbonne University on Thursday.
France has been an firm supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, and Macron has often clashed with other Western leaders as he has insisted that Europe must stand by the country at any cost. Last month, the French president alarmed European leaders by saying that sending Western troops into Ukraine to shore up its defenses shouldn’t be ruled out.
Macron, a staunch European, is also expected to rally support for his centrist Renaissance party ahead of the June 6-9 elections for the European Parliament. The French president lost his majority in France’s most influential house of parliament, the National Assembly, after the 2022 election to the far-left coalition and the far-right National Rally party.
The social situation in France remains tense as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games this summer, amid protests from teachers, police officers, and farmers in recent weeks. The protests follow huge demonstrations last year against Macron’s ultimately successful proposal to rise the retirement age.
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, April 18, 2024. European Union leaders on Wednesday debated a new "European Competitiveness Deal" aimed at helping the 27-nation bloc close the gap with Chinese and American rivals amid fears the region's industries will otherwise be left behind for good. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
