Reports: Police issue fresh fines for event attended by UK PM

NEW DELHI/LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to the UK on Saturday after a two-day visit to India amid reports of more fines being issued by Scotland Yard for lockdown-breaching parties at 10 Downing Street.

The Metropolitan Police have been investigating the so-called ‘partygate’ scandal, which is a looming threat to Johnson’s leadership that followed him all the way India this week as the House of Commons voted in favour of investigating whether the prime minister knowingly misled parliament over the issue.

ITV News and the Guardian on Friday quoted sources saying UK government officials have started receiving fines for another “bring your own booze” event in the garden of Number 10 Downing Street, which Johnson is known to have attended.

At least one Downing Street official received a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for attending the event on 20 May 2020, during Covid restrictions preventing such a gathering.

No.10 officials denied on Friday that the PM received a fine.

Johnson, his wife Carrie, and chancellor Rishi Sunak have already paid a FPN for a birthday party for the prime minister attended by at least 30 people at No.10 on 19 June 2020. The PM has apologised and said he was not aware that he was breaking any Covid rules at the time.

Beijing issues warning over virus outbreak

Beijing warned of more Covid-19 cases in the days ahead after adding at least 15 new infections on Saturday in China’s capital.

Total cases reached 20 in the last two days, with local authorities vowing to do further testing to prevent the virus’s spread, the city’s health authorities said at a briefing on Saturday.

The local government said it would shut a school for a week and roll out testing for students and workers there after a total of 10 students from a middle school tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.