‘Partygate’ probe may be weakened at police request
A U.K. government probe into alleged rulebreaking parties in Boris Johnson’s office during the pandemic could be stripped of key details at the request of the police, potentially handing the prime minister a boost as he tries to persuade his Conservatives not to mount a leadership challenge.
Facing a major public backlash, Mr. Johnson commissioned the civil service to look into reports he and his staff broke lockdown rules with various events in Downing Street. The report, by senior civil servant Sue Gray, was expected to be published this week.
But the decision by London’s Metropolitan Police to start its own probe into some — but not all — of the alleged parties caused a delay.
The police probe, which was triggered by some of Ms. Gray’s findings, led to discussions between the government and detectives over what can now be published to “avoid any prejudice” to the criminal probe.
While the police said it has not asked for Ms. Gray’s report to be delayed, the statement makes clear that if it is published before the criminal probe, it’s likely to be without the potentially most damaging elements for Mr. Johnson.
Italy fails to elect president in 5th vote
Italian lawmakers failed to elect a new president for the fifth time, after centerright parties unsuccessfully tried to push through a candidate from their ranks.
Senate leader Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, 75, received 382 votes on Friday, well short of the 457 lawmakers from her group. A majority of 505 votes was required.
The 1,009 members of the two chambers of parliament and regional representatives will make another attempt at breaking the gridlock. They have been trying to find a successor to President Sergio Mattarella since Monday, and pressure is mounting to end a process that’s left the country in limbo.
The parties’ inability to reach an agreement is seen as favoring Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who may benefit as alternative candidates fail to build consensus. A second term for Mr. Mattarella remains an option, although he repeatedly signaled he wasn’t interested.
Storm kills over 70 in 3 African nations
The death toll from a tropical storm that swept through three countries in the southern region of African rose to over 70 as rescue workers scrambled to repair collapsed power lines and help thousands of people stranded by the flooding.
Strong winds, swollen rivers and heavy rains from Tropical Storm Ana brought down homes and trapped residents in the wreckage. At least 18 people were killed in Mozambique, while 48 deaths were reported in Madagascar and 11 in Malawi.
Authorities were still evaluating the number of casualties and the scale of the destruction from the storm Friday as warnings emerged of another storm coming from over the Indian Ocean in days.