United Kingdom

LONDON (AP) — Boris Johnson, the man likely to become U.K. prime minister within weeks, on Thursday denied playing any role in the departure of Britain’s ambassador to Washington, who quit after coming under attack from President Donald Trump.

Politicians from both government and opposition parties have accused Johnson of spinelessness for failing to defend envoy Kim Darroch, and said the removal of a British ambassador because of pressure from a foreign leader was a severe blow to British diplomacy and power.

LONDON, Jul 10 (APP): The United Kingdom on Wednesday said that the Doha Intra-Afghan dialogue was an important and positive step in Afghanistan peace efforts.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office Spokesman in a statement issued here said, “Crucially the dialogue in Doha, facilitated by Germany and Qatar, included Taliban members and representatives of the Afghanistan government, in a personal capacity,
to discuss the future of Afghanistan”, the FCO statement said.

10 July 2019; AFP: Boris Johnson stood accused Tuesday of having nothing to offer Britain but "blind optimism" as he and his rival for the premiership clashed over Brexit in a bad-tempered TV debate.

Johnson is the runaway frontrunner to replace Theresa May later this month, wooing voters with a promise to take Britain out of the European Union on October 31 whatever happens.

10 July 2019; DW: Former UK premier John Major has said he would challenge in court any move to force through a "no-deal" Brexit by suspending parliament. Major warned it could drag Queen Elizabeth II into a "constitutional controversy."

The former British Prime Minister John Major on Wednesday warned he would personally take legal action to stop any leader using a suspension of parliament to deliver a "no-deal" Brexit.

LONDON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out for a second day at Britain’s ambassador to the United States on Tuesday, describing him as “wacky” and a “pompous fool,” after a leak of emails critical of the American administration.

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s main opposition Labour Party said Tuesday that the country’s soon-to-be chosen new leader should hold a second referendum on whether to leave the European Union or remain in the bloc, as the two contenders for the job prepared to face a grilling in a TV debate over their plans to break Britain’s Brexit gridlock.

LONDON (AP) — President Donald Trump threatened Monday to cut off contact with Britain’s ambassador to the United States after leaked diplomatic cables revealed the envoy called the Trump administration “dysfunctional” and “inept.”

The U.S. leader tweeted about Ambassador Kim Darroch a day after a British newspaper published the diplomat’s unflattering assessments of the current administration in Washington.

LONDON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- China is "strongly opposed" to British intervention in Hong Kong affairs, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said on Sunday, criticizing some British politicians' Cold War mentality on bilateral ties.

8 July 2019; DW: British Airways has been fined 183.4 million pounds ($230 million, €205 million) by the United Kingdom's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after computer hackers stole customer data last year, according to its parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG).

IAG said in a statement on Monday that the ICO intended to issue the penalty, which equated to 1.5% of its worldwide turnover for 2017, under the UK Data Protection Act.

LONDON (AP) — The British government is hunting for the source of a leak of diplomatic cables from Britain’s ambassador in Washington that branded President Donald Trump’s administration “dysfunctional” and “inept.”

British officials are embarrassed by the publication of Kim Darroch’s unflattering assessment — but more alarmed that sensitive confidential information has been leaked, possibly for political ends.

The leak embarrasses outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May, who has sometimes clashed with Trump.