(Sharecast News) - Boris Johnson took four days away from official duties during a critical period of the UK's Covid preparations, according to disclosures highlighted by the Covid inquiry, according to the Guardian. Records show the former prime minister spent time at Chevening in Kent between 14 and 24 February 2020, walking his dog and riding his motorcycle, even as the NHS was bracing to be "overwhelmed" by the virus.
Johnson, questioned at the inquiry in December 2023, insisted he had not taken a long holiday and was working throughout the period. However, official activity logs appear to contradict his evidence under oath, with the inquiry describing February 2020 as a "lost month" in the UK's crisis response.
The Guardian also reported that global talks in Brazil had edged closer to a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, though progress fell short of what scientists say is needed to avert severe climate breakdown. After two weeks of negotiations, countries agreed only to begin voluntary discussions on a future phase-out, with oil-producing nations resisting stronger commitments.
The talks were nearly derailed before being salvaged in an all-night session, following a bitter standoff between a coalition of more than 80 developed and developing countries and a bloc led by Saudi Arabia, Russia and their allies. The outcome was described as a small step forward, but far from sufficient to meet global climate goals.
Donald Trump indicated at the weekend that he was prepared to make concessions to Ukraine, after Keir Starmer warned that Washington's peace plan risked leaving the country vulnerable to further Russian aggression, according to the Sunday Telegraph. The US president said his 28‑point proposal, which would see Ukraine give up key territory and reduce the size of its armed forces, was "not my final offer". The comments came as debate continued over the viability of the plan and its potential impact on Ukraine's security.
"We'd like to get to peace. It should've happened a long time ago [...] We're trying to get it ended. One way or the other we have to get it ended," he said.
The Sunday Telegraph also reported that business secretary Kemi Badenoch had accused chancellor Rachel Reeves of "cowardice" over her refusal to acknowledge that tax rises will hit British workers. Reeves was expected to extend the freeze on income tax thresholds for another two years in her upcoming Budget, a move critics have labelled a "stealth tax".
The chancellor has previously insisted that the wealthy would bear the brunt of tax increases, arguing that those with the "broadest shoulders" should contribute more, while pledging to protect working people. However, the threshold freeze is set to drag hundreds of thousands of earners into higher tax bands as wages rise, intensifying pressure on household finances.
Badenoch said: "If [Ms Reeves] freezes income tax thresholds she will, according to her own words in her own Budget speech last year, be breaching the Labour manifesto."
Prime minister Keir Starmer has backed The Independent's SafeCall campaign, which aims to reach every missing child through a new 24‑hour support service. The initiative, run in partnership with the charity Missing People, has already raised more than £75,000 in donations as momentum builds.
Starmer described the campaign as vital, stressing that "every child deserves safety and support". He praised the initiative for being designed with young people in mind and urged wider backing to help make the service a reality.
Donald Trump welcomed the resignation of former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress, once again branding her a "traitor" and claiming she quit because he refused to return her calls, according to The Independent. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump referred to her as Marjorie "Traitor" Brown, repeating a previous jibe that "Green grass turns Brown when it begins to ROT!". He suggested Greene's departure was driven by fears of facing a Trump‑backed challenger in a primary election.
Greene, one of Trump's most high‑profile and controversial supporters, announced her decision to step down last week. The move has divided opinion within the MAGA movement, with some welcoming her exit while others questioned what it means for the future direction of the group.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged a renewed push to reform welfare as she prepares to allocate £3bn in her upcoming Budget to abolish the two‑child benefit cap, according to The Sunday Times.
Writing ahead of Wednesday's statement, Reeves said fiscal restraint was a core Labour value and essential to curbing inflation, which she described as a "fundamental precursor to economic growth". She argued there was nothing "fair or progressive" about wasteful spending or devoting "£1 in every £10 of taxpayer money" to servicing government debt.
Her comments were seen as an effort to reassure bond markets as she moves to scrap the cap. Reeves is expected to argue that ending the measure outright, rather than tapering payments based on family size, will help prevent poorer children from facing a "lifelong cost of living crisis" while saving the state money over the longer term.
Finally, Lakshmi Mittal, once a dominant figure on The Sunday Times Rich List, has left the UK in response to Labour's changes to the taxation of the super‑rich, according to sources cited by the paper. The Indian steel magnate topped the wealth rankings a record eight times over its 37‑year history, with his fortune peaking at £27.7bn in 2008 - the largest sum ever attributed to a single individual on the list when adjusted for inflation.
During more than three decades in Britain, Mittal became a household name, acquiring some of London's most expensive properties, taking a stake in Queens Park Rangers and donating millions to charitable causes. He also gave £5m to the Labour Party. His departure marks the end of an era for one of the UK's most high‑profile billionaires, and adds to the growing number of wealthy individuals relocating amid Labour's tax shake‑up.