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Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp Messages And Why People In Britain Talking About Them

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LONDON — Because WhatsApp is popular among lawmakers and government employees, detractors claim the British government runs “government by WhatsApp.”

Therefore, it only makes sense that the main focus of Britain’s official investigation into how the nation handled the COVID-19 outbreak is a dispute over WhatsApp communications.

The investigation run by retired judge Heather Hallett included a lot of communications between then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and cabinet members, advisors, and officials during the pandemic. Since some of the messages are private and unrelated to the investigation, the Conservative administration, currently under the leadership of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, wants the ability to modify them before turning them over. It has challenged Hallett’s directive to turn over the unredacted messages in court.

What is the investigation looking into?
One of the greatest death rates in Europe, more than 200,000 people have died in Britain after testing positive for COVID-19, and Johnson’s government’s choices have been hotly contested. Johnson gave in to pressure from bereaved families in late 2021 and decided to launch an investigation.

The scope of Hallett’s investigation will focus on the United Kingdom’s pandemic preparedness, the government’s response, and whether or not the “level of loss was inevitable or whether things could have been done better.”

The former prime minister and many other top government officials are expected to testify during public hearings starting on June 13 and going through 2026.

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WHY IS WHATSAPP Johnson OFF?

The texting service, owned by Meta, has grown to be a favorite among British government officials and the journalists who cover them. Users may feel secure knowing their conversations will remain private because of its end-to-end encryption and ease of use for solo and group chats.

This confidence has occasionally shown to be misplaced. Tens of thousands of his texts were given to a writer who was assisting Matt Hancock, a former health secretary who helped lead Britain’s response to the epidemic, in writing a memoir. The journalist gave them to a newspaper, which ran a series of front-page pieces with unpleasant details.

Johnson’s correspondence with more than thirty scientists and government representatives over two years beginning in early 2020 has been requested by Hallett. She also requests access to Johnson’s contemporaneous journals and notebooks.

WHAT IS THE POSITION OF THE GOVERNMENT?

According to the Sunak administration, some texts that took over after Johnson resigned amid scandals in the middle of 2022 are “unambiguously irrelevant” to the COVID-19 investigation. According to the statement, making them public would violate the public’s “legitimate expectations of privacy and protection of their personal information” and other areas of government activity.

The government’s Cabinet Office challenged Hallett’s request for the documents in court papers filed on Thursday. In the upcoming weeks, a hearing in the High Court will be the next step.

Hallett has the authority to call witnesses and subpoena them to testify per the investigation’s rules established at the outset with the government’s consent.

The former head of the government legal service Jonathan Jones stated, “The government has an uphill task,” in a blog post for the Institute for Government. The court will likely rule that the inquiry chair should choose how to proceed and what materials she needs to review.

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WHAT SUGGESTS BORIS JOHNSON?

Johnson and his successor Sunak have a history of conflict; Sunak’s resignation from the administration in July 2022 assisted in Johnson’s overthrow.

Johnson has stated that he is happy to turn over his texts, separating himself from the government’s position. He claimed to have sent Hallett’s inquiry the WhatsApp exchanges on Friday.

However, they only cover a portion of the requested time period in another twist. There are no communications from Johnson that date back before April 2021. That period covers the early stages of the pandemic, during which the government made crucial decisions that are still debated today, three periods of the national lockdown, and the dates of the unlawful parties that took place in government buildings and resulted in a large number of people, including Johnson, receiving fines from the police.

Johnson claims that the messages are on a phone that he has been told not to use after the media discovered that his number had been listed online for 15 years.

According to Johnson, the security services ordered him to stop using the phone and never switch it on again. On Friday, he informed Hallett that he had “requested the Cabinet Office for assistance turning it on securely so I could search it for all pertinent documents. I suggest sending you all of this information directly.

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Taylor Swift Watches Travis Kelce’s Chiefs Take On The Jets At MetLife Stadium

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EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Taylor Swift could not pass up another opportunity to observe Travis Kelce play football.

The 12-time Grammy Award winner arrived at MetLife Stadium approximately forty minutes before Sunday night’s kickoff to witness Travis and his Kansas City Chiefs defeat the New York Jets 23-20.

Swift, wearing blue jean shorts, a black long-sleeved top, and a leather jacket, entered the stadium’s security area with actors Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Hugh Jackman, as captured by SNY. NBC’s broadcast cut to Swift multiple times during the game, including a shot of the pop star with her arm around Donna Kelce, who was donning her son’s No. 87 jersey.

Swift’s appearance comes a week after she attended Arrowhead Stadium, dressed in red and white, to witness the Chiefs’ 41-10 home victory over the Chicago Bears with Donna Kelce. Swift accepted the All-Pro tight end’s invitation to observe the game and had to see more of Travis and the Chiefs in action.

Taylor Swift is on a break from her Eras Tour, which resumes on November 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Travis acknowledges Swift’s daring appearance at the Chiefs game but remains tight-lipped about their relationship. Twenty minutes before commencement, NBC aired a tour advertisement.

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Taylor Swift could not pass up another opportunity to observe Travis Kelce play football.

Swift is familiar with MetLife Stadium, having performed three sold-out concerts there in May. Two of those performances were attended by Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who returned to the team this past weekend after tearing his left Achilles tendon on the fourth play of his September 11 debut.

Rodgers attended a squad meeting on Saturday evening and was at the stadium to observe player warmups on Sunday evening.

Swift and Kelce have not disclosed details about their relationship. Kelce stated on his podcast “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce” earlier this week that Swift “looked amazing” at the contest.

Regarding her time spent in the suite, Kelce stated, “Everyone was speaking positively about her.” “Moreover, the day proceeded flawlessly for Chiefs fans. Naturally, we plan everything, ladies and gentlemen.”

Kelce invited Swift to that game after failing to present her a friendship bracelet during the Kansas City stop of her Eras Tour.

SOURCE – (AP)

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2023: A Second UK Police Force Is Looking Into Allegations Of Sexual Offenses Committed By Russell Brand

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LONDON brand,  British media reported on Monday that a second British police force is investigating sexual offenses purportedly committed by the actor and comedian Russell Brand.

According to the BBC and PA news agency, Thames Valley Police is reexamining harassment and surveillance allegations made by a woman against Russell between 2018 and 2022.

As is customary in the United Kingdom for individuals who have not been charged, the police refused to identify Russell but stated in response to news reports.

“In the past two weeks, Thames Valley Police have received new information regarding harassment and stalking allegations dating back to 2018,” it stated. As such, it would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation involving this information.

As a result of a television documentary and newspaper investigations, London’s Metropolitan Police stated last week that it was investigating “a number of allegations of sexual offences” involving Russell.

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A Second UK Police Force Is Looking Into Allegations Of Sexual Offenses Committed By Russell Brand

Russell, 48, denies sexual assault allegations brought by four women in a Channel 4 documentary and The Times and Sunday Times newspapers. One of the unnamed accusers claims she was sexually assaulted during a 16-year-old relationship with the defendant. In 2012, a second victim claimed Brand raped her in Los Angeles.

The brand was a prominent U.K. celebrity in the early 2000s, hosting radio and television programs and starring in several Hollywood films. Between 2010 and 2012, he briefly married the pop singer Brandy Perry.

They have largely vanished from mainstream media but has amassed a substantial online following through videos that combine wellness and conspiracy theories. YouTube has stated that due to the “serious allegations” against Brand, he will no longer be able to monetize his 6,6 million subscribers on the video streaming platform.

Source – Ap

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Music

U2 Concert Uses Stunning Visuals To Open Massive Sphere Venue In Las Vegas

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LAS VEGAS – It appeared to be a typical U2 outdoor concert: two helicopters flew through a starry sky before producing spotlights over the Las Vegas desert and Bono, who kneeled on the ground while singing the band’s 2004 hit “Vertigo.”

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This scene may appear normal, but the visuals were created using floor-to-ceiling graphics within the immersive Sphere. It was one of several impressive instances during U2’s “UV Achtung Baby” residency launch show at the globe-shaped, high-tech venue, which debuted Friday night.

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It appeared to be a typical U2 outdoor concert: two helicopters flew through a starry sky before producing spotlights over the Las Vegas desert

The legendary rock band, which has won 22 Grammys, performed for two hours inside the enormous, state-of-the-art, spherical venue with crystal-clear audio. Throughout the evening, various captivating visuals, including kaleidoscopic images, a burning flag, and the Las Vegas skyline, transported more than 18,000 concertgoers on U2’s epic musical voyage.

Bono, joined onstage by guitarists The Edge and Adam Clayton and percussionist Bram van den Berg, exclaimed, “What a swanky flat!” Then, he gazed at the high-resolution LED display that projected a larger image of himself, along with a few praying hands and bells.

SOURCE – ap

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