Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20220120

A30 world news
Diahuebs 20 Januari 2022

UK’s Johnson defies calls to quit as ouster bid gathers pace

ger a contest to replace him Gray’s report would be pub-
as Conservative leader. The So far, only a handful of Con- lished next week, and urged
winner would also become servative members of Parlia- his party to withhold judg-
prime minister. If Johnson ment have openly called for ment until then. He also held
won the vote, he would be Johnson to resign, though private meetings with Con-
safe from a similar challenge several dozen are believed to servative lawmakers Wednes-
for a year. have submitted letters, in- day to shore up his crumbling
cluding some elected as part support.
Johnson on Wednesday an- of a Johnson-led landslide in
nounced he was lifting mask December 2019. Some Conservative legisla-
mandates and most other tors urged colleagues to show
coronavirus restrictions in Conservative lawmaker An- unity.
England beginning next drew Bridgen, who is calling
week, as he tried to change for a change, said he thought “Now is the time to get be-
(AP) — British Prime the government imposed on the subject and brush aside the 54-letter threshold would hind the prime minister,”
Minister Boris John- the country have helped the questions about the scandal. be reached “this week,” set- said Jake Berry, a Johnson
son defied calls to resign Labour Party open up a dou- ting the stage for a confidence ally. Jonathan Gullis, elected
in a feisty performance ble-digit opinion poll lead “We delivered while they vote within days. in 2019 to represent seat of
Wednesday in Parliament on the Conservatives, but dithered,” he said of oppo- Stoke on Trent North —
— but it may be too little Johnson doesn’t have to face sition politicians, several of Senior civil servant Sue Gray one of a swath of working-
to prevent a push by his voters until the next general whom told Johnson he was is investigating claims that class Labour strongholds the
Conservative Party’s law- election, scheduled for 2024. regarded by Britons as a char- government staff held late- party has won under John-
makers to oust him over a His bigger danger is from his latan, a hypocrite, a liar and night soirees, boozy par- son’s leadership — urged
series of lockdown-flout- own party, which has a his- “stupid.” ties and “wine time Fridays” colleagues who had sub-
ing government parties. tory of ousting leaders once while Britain was under coro- mitted letters seeking a no-
they become liabilities. The Labour opposition was navirus restrictions in 2020 confidence vote to withdraw
Pressure on the prime minis- boosted by the defection to and 2021. The allegations them.
ter grew as one Conservative Conservatives are weighing their ranks of Conservative have spawned public anger,
lawmaker defected to the op- whether to trigger a no-con- lawmaker Christian Wak- incredulity and mockery, and Gullis said he was backing
position Labour Party and a fidence vote in Johnson amid eford, who said the prime prompted growing calls for Johnson because “he has a
former Conservative Cabinet the public anger over the minister was “incapable of Johnson’s resignation. unique ability to engage with
Minister told him: “In the scandal dubbed “partygate” offering the leadership and voters, especially in places
name of God, go!” — a stunning reversal of for- government this country de- Johnson apologized to law- like Stoke on Trent.”
tune for a politician who just serves.” makers last week for attend-
The demand from former over two years ago led the ing a “bring your own booze” But Johnson’s apologies —
Brexit Secretary David Da- party to its biggest election Johnson dismissed calls to gathering in the garden of in which he acknowledged
vis came during a combat- victory in almost 40 years. quit, and said the Conser- his Downing Street offices “misjudgments” but not per-
ive Prime Minister’s Ques- vatives would regain Wak- in May 2020. At the time, sonal rule-breaking — appear
tions session in the House of Under Conservative rules, eford’s seat in the next elec- people in Britain were barred to have weakened, rather
Commons, where Johnson a no-confidence vote in the tion. Johnson’s press secre- from meeting more than one than strengthened, his posi-
defended his government’s party’s leader can be triggered tary said the prime minister person outside their house- tion in the party. Even law-
record in running the econ- if 54 party lawmakers — 15% intended to lead the party in hold to help curb the spread makers who back Johnson
omy, fighting crime and deal- of the party’s House of Com- that election. of COVID-19. say he would have to resign if
ing with the coronavirus pan- mons total — write letters to he is found to have lied.
demic and vowed to lead his a party official demanding it. But Johnson’s defiant perfor- Johnson said he had consid-
party into the next election. mance was met with muted ered the party a work gather- Experts say there is a good
If Johnson lost a confidence cheers on the Conservative ing that fell within the rules. chance the investigation will
The allegations that Johnson vote among the party’s 359 side of the House of Com- neither exonerate him nor
and his staff broke restrictions lawmakers, it would trig- mons. Johnson told lawmakers that conclude he broke the law.

UAE envoy: Yemen’s Houthis used missiles in Abu Dhabi attack

(AP) — Yemen’s Houthi investigations suggested the said they targeted the airports
rebels used cruise and bal- “Several were intercepted, a The missiles and drones with possibility of drones sparking of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the
listic missiles, in addition few of them didn’t and three bombs attached — if they the fires. world’s busiest for interna-
to drones, in an attack on innocent civilians unfortu- were fired from the Houthis’ tional transits, as well as an
Abu Dhabi this week that nately lost their lives,” he stronghold in northern Ye- The Houthis said they fired oil refinery and other sensi-
killed three people and added in remarks at a virtual men — would have needed five ballistic missiles and a tive Emirati facilities. There
set off fires at a fuel depot event hosted by the Jewish to travel some 1,800 kilome- number of explosive-laden was no indication Dubai was
and an international air- Institute for National Securi- ters (1,100 miles) to reach drones in their attack. They hit in Monday’s attack.
port, the Emirati ambas- ty of America. The event was targets in Abu Dhabi.
sador to the United States held to discuss U.S. policies
said Wednesday. and Israeli relations with the Monday’s attack targeted an
UAE and Bahrain. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.
The remarks by Ambassador fuel depot in an industrial
Yousef Al-Otaiba marked an Al-Otaiba did not respond to zone outside the city center
official acknowledgement further questions from The of the Emirati capital, as well
that missiles — and not just Associated Press about how as an area of Abu Dhabi In-
drones — were used in Mon- many missiles targeted the ternational Airport still under
day’s attack, claimed by the UAE and how many were in- construction.
Iran-backed Houthis. tercepted.
The attack killed two Indian
“Several attacks — a com- Gulf Arab states, as well as nationals and one Pakistani.
bination of cruise missiles, the U.S., U.N. experts and Six people also were wound-
ballistic missiles, and drones others have previously ac- ed at the oil and gas facility
— targeted civilian sites” in cused Iran of supplying arms when a fire caused an explo-
the United Arab Emirates, to the Houthis, a charge that sion of fuel tankers. Police in
Al-Otaiba said. Tehran denies. Abu Dhabi said preliminary