Father of one of 2 teens wanted in 3 killings in Canada says son plans to go out 'in blaze of glory' - CNN

The comments came the same day authorities charged Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, with one count of second degree murder in the death of Leonard "Len" Dyck of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Dyck's body was found Friday, though authorities were unable to identify him and released a composite sketch of the man.

"As a result of the charges, Canada-wide warrants have been issued," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Department said in a news release. "... RCMP investigators across the country continue to share information with other law enforcement agencies as the suspects remain at large."

There are concurrent investigations underway in Saskatchewan and Manitoba into reported sightings of the two teens, the news release said.

Authorities have been searching for McLeod and Schmegelsky since last week. Initially, the two were believed to be missing. Now, the RCMP say they are suspects in the shooting deaths of Dyck, as well as Chynna Noelle Deese, a 24-year-old American, and Lucas Robertson Fowler, her 23-year-old Australian boyfriend.

Go out in a 'blaze of glory'

In an emotionally charged interview with CNN news partner CTV News, Alan Schmegelsky said his son has been dealing with mental anguish and plans to go out in "a blaze of glory."

"A normal child doesn't travel across the country, killing people. A child in some very serious pain does," he said.

Schmegelsky described his son as an introvert, saying he played a lot of video games.

He said McLeod and his son were good friends, who hung out a lot together.

Both had jobs at Walmart, but said they weren't making enough money and decided to go to Alberta to look for work, he said.

"I believed that's what they were going to do, and I was absolutely flabbergasted to learn that two days later, and I found this out from the paper," he said.

Schmegelsky said he believes the RCMP will "shoot first and ask questions later."

"Basically, he's going to be dead today or tomorrow. I know that," he told CTV. "Rest in peace, Bryer. I love you. I'm so sorry all this had to happen. I'm so sorry that I couldn't rescue you."

Police say the two are 'armed and dangerous'

McLeod and Schmegelsky are considered armed and dangerous, and members of the public should not approach them, authorities said. They were last seen in northern Saskatchewan — about a day's drive east of where the bodies were found — driving a gray 2011 Toyota RAV4, authorities said. The pair may now be in Manitoba, east of Saskatchewan, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.

The Manitoba RCMP confirmed Wednesday they had recovered the Toyota the suspects had used. They found it near the town of Gillam.

"The two may being using a different vehicle, on foot or even traveling separately. If they are spotted, do not approach, call 9-1-1 or your local police immediately," the RCMP said.

The RCMP have dispatched more officers to the area and set up an informational checkpoint at the road leading into town, RCMP Cpl. Julie Courchaine said.

McLeod is 6 feet, 4 inches tall, 169 pounds and has dark hair, facial hair and brown eyes. Schmegelsky is 6 feet, 4 inches tall and 169 pounds with sandy hair, police said.

They are suspected in the shooting deaths of Deese and Fowler, whose bodies were found on July 15 about 12 miles south of Liard Hot Springs in northern British Columbia, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.

Fowler was living in British Columbia, and they were exploring the area while Deese was visiting him, RCMP Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said. Deese's mother, Sheila Deese, said the couple had been on a road trip through Canada up to Alaska.

'His death has created unthinkable grief'

Police found Dyck's body several days later about a mile from where a vehicle and camper belonging to McLeod and Schmegelsky were found burning on the side of Highway 37.

Authorities declined to say what new information led them to name the two as suspects. But it came just a day after the RCMP said it was a "possible" that their disappearance was related to the couple's death.

The teens, both from Port Alberni, were traveling through British Columbia to the Yukon Territory to look for work, the RCMP had said.

The RCMP did not say how Dyck was identified, but his family has been notified.

"We are truly heart broken by the sudden and tragic loss of Len," a statement from his family said. "His death has created unthinkable grief and we are struggling to understand what has happened. While we understand there will be interest in knowing more about him and the impact he had during his life, we are asking for the public and the media to please respect our privacy during this difficult time."

CNN's Patrick Cornell, Eric Levenson, Emanuella Grinberg and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.

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2019-07-25 10:20:00Z
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UK weather heats up as Europe smashes records: Live updates - CNN International

While temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit might not seem high to hotter regions, they are way above seasonal averages for much of Europe.

Many European cities are not designed to deal with such temperatures. Air conditioning is less common and public transportation systems often struggle.

But this could be the new normal: climate scientists warn that these extreme heat waves are becoming more frequent and increasingly severe because of the climate crisis. 

Climate scientists predicted that rising global temperatures caused by increases in greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal, oil and gas would contribute to more heat waves, according to Stefan Rahmstorf, a climatologist and professor at Germany's Potsdam University.

People cool off in fountains at Toldbod Plads in Aalborg, Denmark, on Wednesday.

France's meteorological body Météo-France echoed this link in June -- and warned that the number of extreme heat waves is expected to double by 2050. 

Meanwhile, a group of European scientists concluded that the June heat wave had been made at least five times more likely because of climate change.

"It's important to stress the 'at least'. It's likely to be much higher but this is hard to quantify. Our best estimate is that it's 100 times more. We give the most conservative estimate," said Friederike Otto of Oxford University, who contributed to the research.

It's not just heat waves, and it's not just Europe.

Countries around the world are experiencing extreme weather catastrophes that threaten to render entire regions unliveable -- India is swinging between extreme drought and fatal flooding, 157 million Americans were gripped by a stifling heat wave last week, and the Arctic is facing "unprecedented' wildfires.

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2019-07-25 09:26:55Z
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North Korean Missile Test Seen As Pressure Tactic Aimed At US - NPR

Enlarge this image

A man watches a television showing file footage of a North Korean missile launch, at a railway station in Seoul on Thursday after North Korea fired two short-range missiles into the sea. Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images

North Korea has fired two short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan, the first such test since a high-profile meeting last month between President Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Official North Korean media on Thursday described the test of "projectiles," but Western experts quickly noted that the range, about 270 miles, and flight path of at least one of the missiles pointed strongly to it being a KN-23 SRBM, which was previously tested in May, a month before Trump and Kim met at the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas.

However, an unnamed South Korean defense official was quoted by Reuters as saying one of the missiles appeared to be of a new, longer-range design, flying about 430 miles.

The move by Pyongyang is seen as tactic to pressure the U.S. as it tries to get nuclear negotiations with Korea back on track. Even so, it is considered less provocative than 2017 tests of North Korea's ICBMs, which are capable of reaching the U.S.

It comes close on the heels of National Security Adviser John Bolton, a hardliner on relations with North Korea, meeting with South Korean officials in Seoul to discuss strengthening the U.S.-South Korea alliance.

It also follows a warning less than a week ago from North Korea that exercises planned between the U.S. and South Korea could jeopardize further denuclearization talks.

After a historic summit last June between Trump and Kim in Singapore, the president boasted that he had persuaded North Korea to denuclearize. But a follow up summit in Hanoi earlier this year quickly fell apart and the North Korean regime has shown few, if any, signs of taking concrete steps to end its nuclear or ballistic missile programs.

“North Korea recommits to denuclearization - we’ve come a long way.” @FoxNews

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2018

The White House did not immediately respond to the news, but South Korea's Defense Ministry spokesman Choi Hyun-soo called the test "not helpful" in reducing tensions between the Koreas. Japan's Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters in Tokyo that "If they were ballistic missiles, they violate the U.N. sanctions, and I find it extremely regrettable."

A South Korean defense official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the missiles were launched from mobile platforms at a site near Wonsan on North Korea's coast.

North Korea has also been working on submarine-launched ballistic missiles and earlier this week, North Korea's Central News Agency released photographs of leader Kim inspecting a newly built submarine. Although there were no details released, Kim was quoted as expressing "great satisfaction over the fact that the submarine was designed and built to be capable of fully implementing the military strategic intention" of North Korea.

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2019-07-25 06:22:00Z
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Boris Johnson becomes UK's new prime minister - BBC News

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Boris Johnson said he wanted to "change the country for the better" after he became the UK's new prime minister.

Speaking outside Downing Street, he said the UK would leave the EU on 31 October "no ifs, no buts", adding: "The buck stops with me."

"The doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters" who said it could not be done were "wrong", the new PM added.

He also promised to sort out care for the elderly "once and for all", and invest in transport and education.

Reforms to the social care sector have eluded previous governments because of their cost and complexity.

"We will fix it once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve," he insisted.

Mr Johnson listed a wide range of domestic ambitions, including improving infrastructure, recruiting 20,000 new police officers and "levelling up" school spending. He also promised reforms to ensure the £20bn in extra funding earmarked for the NHS "really gets to the front line".

He pledged to boost the UK's biotech and space science sectors, change the tax rules to provide incentives for investment, and do more to promote the welfare of animals.

Cabinet changes

The new PM will shortly begin announcing some senior cabinet appointments - and ahead of that, other ministers are making way.

In a surprise move, Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt, a leading Brexiteer who backed Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in the Tory leadership contest, announced she was returning to the backbenches.

She was joined moments later by another Brexiteer, Liam Fox.

On Wednesday, there was speculation that Mr Hunt, whose own future is uncertain, had been offered Ms Mordaunt's job and turned it down.

It is believed Mr Johnson is about to meet ministers who he is planning to dismiss in his offices in Parliament.

Among those who could leave include the Business Secretary Greg Clark and Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley, both close allies of Mrs May.

Sweeping changes are expected after Chancellor Philip Hammond, Justice Secretary David Gauke and Cabinet Office minister David Lidington all quit in the past few hours.

Setting out his priorities for office, the former London mayor hit out at the "pessimists" who did not believe Brexit could be delivered and called for an end to three years of indecision.

"The people who bet against Britain are going to lose their shirts because we are going to restore trust in our democracy," he said.

"The time has come to act, to take decisions and change this country for the better."

He said he had "every confidence" the UK would leave the EU in 99 days time with a deal, but preparations for the "remote possibility" of a no-deal Brexit would be accelerated.

'Personal responsibility'

Mr Johnson vowed to bring all four nations of the United Kingdom - or what he described as the "awesome foursome" - together in the task of strengthening a post-Brexit country.

"Though I am today building a great team of men and women, I will take personal responsibility for the change I want to see," he concluded.

"Never mind the backstop, the buck stops with me."

The BBC's Vicki Young said she was struck by the ambition of Mr Johnson's objectives beyond Brexit and the fact that he would take personal responsibility for his success or failure in achieving them.

Labour's Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson's speech was "all rhetoric" and the new PM needed to show leadership rather than the "glib" answers he had become known for.

The new Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, said she would welcome a cross-party push to find a solution on social care, but attacked Mr Johnson's "bluster and bravado" over Brexit.

Mr Johnson took over after Theresa May handed in her resignation to the Queen. A number of her senior ministers have also already resigned, saying they could not serve under her successor.

Earlier, as she relinquished power after three years, Mrs May said being prime minister had been "the greatest honour" and wished her successor well.

In a farewell speech outside No 10, she said his government's "successes will be our country's successes".

Mr Johnson's audience with Queen Elizabeth II lasted more than half an hour.

During his journey to Buckingham Palace, his car was briefly held up by protesters from Greenpeace, who formed a human chain across The Mall.

Mr Johnson's partner, Carrie Symonds, and key members of his staff were awaiting the new prime minister's arrival in Downing Street.

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2019-07-24 15:45:00Z
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Theresa May to step down, Boris Johnson to become U.K. prime minister, in elaborate transition of power - The Washington Post

British Prime Minister Theresa May takes questions for the last time in parliament before traveling to Buckingham Palace to formally submit her resignation.

The British government is in transition on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Theresa May steps down and Boris Johnson takes her place. Here’s how the day will unfold:

●May hosted her last session of Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament and will soon deliver farewell remarks at 10 Downing Street.

●May will then submit her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

●Johnson will formally become prime minister following his own audience with the queen.

●Johnson will deliver his first speech at Downing Street and begin to form his cabinet.

LONDON — The transition of power in Britain’s parliamentary democracy is brutal —and lightning quick. The United Kingdom is not without a premier for more than an hour. Outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May will curtsy to the Queen Wednesday afternoon and resign. Boris Johnson will bow and be asked to form a new government.

When Johnson walks through the black enameled door of 10 Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon, he will fulfill what his biographers describe as his relentless “blond ambition” to follow his hero, Winston Churchill, into Britain’s top job.

He will immediately face the buzz saw of Brexit. And although his supporters hope the charismatic Johnson will rally a divided Parliament and a divided country in a way that Theresa May failed to do, he comes into office as a controversial leader, not especially well-liked by most Brits.

Johnson — a bombastic, Latin-quoting Oxford classicist with a mop of intentionally mussed yellow hair — made his name as an over-the-top journalist and a colorful London mayor. He then galvanized the successful Brexit campaign in 2016, which won him many fans and many enemies. 

[Who is Boris Johnson? Everything you need to know about Britain’s next prime minister.]

On Wednesday, the transition began when May appeared in the House of Commons for her last session of prime minister’s questions, a weekly exchange between the ruling government and the opposition, as tradition dictates, “two sword lengths apart.”

Lawmakers thanked May for her term and her 33 years in public service. The harshest lines were reserved for Johnson, whom opposition rivals called “flagrant” and “reckless,” a usurper with no mandate, and someone who is prepared to “sell our country out to Donald Trump and his friends.”

May offered tepid support for her successor, said she was “pleased” to hand over to Johnson, whom “I worked with when he was in my cabinet,” and who is committed to delivering Brexit. Johnson notably quit May’s Cabinet over her handling of Brexit.

When May herself came under attack, she gave as good as she got.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn laid into her — saying that under her tenure, child poverty was up, pensioner poverty was up, school class size was up, food bank use was up. May retorted that she was proud of her record. She then lowered her head, eyeballed Corbyn and poked him with her horns: “As a party leader who has accepted when her time was up, perhaps the time is now for him to do the same.”

Theresa May tells Jeremy Corbyn to quit during her last exchange in Parliament as prime minister with the Labour leader.

Jo Swinson, the new leader of the ascendent Liberal Democrats party, asked May if she had any advice for “women across the country on how to deal with those men who think they could do a better job but are not prepared to do the actual work.”

May smiled but didn’t take the bait — if that’s what it was — to make any references to Johnson. Instead, she offered: “Be true to yourself, persevere and keep going.”

Harriet Harman, the longest-serving female member of the House, honored May as Britain’s second female prime minister. But Harman added a sly reference to May’s rocky relationship with President Trump: “Sometimes you just have to be a bit more careful when a man wants to hold your hand.”

Although May had a relatively short tenure for a British prime minister, she noted that she had answered more than 4,500 questions over the course of 140 hours in the House of Commons.

After she steps down as leader, May will return to the back benches of Parliament as an ordinary and not very influential lawmaker. This is far different than the tradition in the United States, where a former president scoots offstage to write memoirs, deliver speeches and build a library. In May’s case, she will back in the House of Commons after the summer recess, asking questions of Johnson.

Outside the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday, Fleet Street was in a tizzy over possible picks for Johnson’s team — including the “great offices of state” — the chancellor, foreign secretary and home secretary — and what they could mean for Brexit and his style of governing. Johnson has just 99 days to find a Brexit solution. Otherwise, he has warned that Britain might accept the economic risk of leaving the bloc without a withdrawal agreement or transition period.

Will Johnson lean towards compromise? Or tilt towards a ‘no deal’ Brexit? The line-up of his top team could also signal whether he intends to govern, as he suggested on the campaign trail, like he did as mayor of London, where he was known as a liberal Conservative.

Johnson awoke Wednesday to a pile of British newspapers on his doorstep announcing his victory — some celebratory, some not. The Metro tabloid went with “Don’t Panic!” as an all-caps headline. The Express front page read, “Hang Onto Your Hats. Here Comes Boris!”

Britain’s newspapers heralded former London Mayor Boris Johnson as he prepared to take over as prime minister, July 24.

Next on the schedule: May will deliver farewell remarks at Downing Street and then travel to Buckingham Palace — probably under the watchful eye of hovering media helicopters — where she will tender her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II and recommend Johnson as the person who can command the confidence of the House of Commons. 

After May’s car leaves the palace, one carrying Johnson will arrive for a ceremony known as “kissing hands.”

In the movie “The Queen,” starring Helen Mirren, the actor playing Tony Blair kissed the hand of the monarch, but in reality, there’s more likely to be shaking hands. Theresa May shook hands and curtseyed — deeply — during her meeting with the queen when she became prime minister.

Adrian Dennis

AFP/Getty Images

Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband, Philip, stand outside 10 Downing Street on July 13, 2016.

Johnson will be the queen’s 14th prime minister. Over the course of her long reign, Elizabeth II has seen them come and go: Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and now Johnson.

Much attention today will focus on his remarks after he leaves the palace. The first speech a prime minister delivers is heavily scrutinized and often long remembered. 

For her first speech as prime minister, May talked of tackling “burning injustices” in society and leading a government that worked for everyone, not the “privileged few.” Those promises for a Tory-led “social justice” program were often thrown back in her face, when May mostly failed to address those issues. She was consumed with Brexit. The same could happen to her successor.

Matt Hancock, a Conservative politician who has been helping with Johnson’s campaign, told the BBC he expected Johnson’s speech to include “a surprising amount of detail, especially on the domestic agenda.” He said that, at the same time as delivering Brexit, Johnson wanted to focus on domestic issues and pointed out that on the campaign trail Johnson spoke about education, social care and policing.

Once prime minister, Johnson is expected to start naming his new team and new cabinet. Johnson has said he wants a cabinet rich with pro-Brexit voices — with each chair filled by someone who is okay with the incoming prime minister’s vow, that if he does not get the Brexit deal he wants from Europe, then Britain will crash out with no deal.

Johnson handily won the leadership contest on Tuesday. The former foreign secretary Johnson captured 92,153 votes to current foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt’s 46,656 — a decisive victory. 

Tolga Akmen

AFP/Getty Images

New Conservative Party leader and incoming prime minister Boris Johnsonleaves his campaign office in central London on Tuesday.

But the vote involved only dues-paying members of the Conservative Party. A mere 139,000 people cast ballots in a country of 66 million. A lot of Britons feel left out at a pivotal moment. On social media, #NotMyPM was one of the many Johnson-related hashtags trending. A YouGov survey found that 58 percent of Brits have a negative opinion of Johnson — a wicked-high number for a first day on the job.

The 55-year-old Johnson will take up residence at Downing Street. His 31-year-old girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, a former Conservative Party communications official and a top Tory spinner, may move in over the weekend, according to British news reports. Expect a lot of tabloid interest in this unprecedented arrangement.

When Johnson clocks in, he will face an overflowing in-tray of items that need urgent attention, including a showdown in the Persian Gulf with a belligerent Iran. The two countries have been in a tense standoff since Britain impounded an Iranian tanker suspected of sending oil to Syria, and Iran retaliated by seizing a British-flagged oil tanker last week.

Politics watchers are keen to see whether Johnson continues Britain’s effort to salvage the 2015 deal designed to discourage Iran from developing nuclear weapons, or whether he bends to U.S. pressure to impose sanctions on Iran.

[Want to understand Boris Johnson, Britain’s probable next prime minister? Read his incendiary journalism.]

But Johnson’s main challenge will be getting Britain out of the European Union.

May’s failure to deliver Brexit on time was the reason her Tory lawmakers ousted her.

Read more

Who is Boris Johnson? His life in photos.

Boris Johnson wins vote to be U.K. prime minister

Theresa May packs her bags, her legacy dominated by failure

Want to understand Boris Johnson? Read his journalism.

What Boris Johnson said about Trump when he wasn’t being so diplomatic

Boris Johnson says he’s prepared for a no-deal Brexit. Critics say he’s reckless.

Boris Johnson’s rise could be a preamble to his fall

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

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2019-07-24 12:52:23Z
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Theresa May to step down, Boris Johnson to become U.K. prime minister, in elaborate transition of power - The Washington Post

British Prime Minister Theresa May takes questions for the last time in parliament before traveling to Buckingham Palace to formally submit her resignation.

The British government is in transition on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Theresa May steps down and Boris Johnson takes her place. Here’s how the day will unfold:

●May hosted her last session of Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament and will soon deliver farewell remarks at 10 Downing Street.

● May will then submit her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

● Johnson will formally become prime minister following his own audience with the queen.

● Johnson will deliver his first speech at Downing Street and begin to form his cabinet.

LONDON — Boris Johnson awoke Wednesday to a pile of British newspapers on his doorstep announcing his victory — some celebratory, some not. The Metro tabloid went with “Don’t Panic!” as an all-caps headline. The Express front page read, “Hang Onto Your Hats. Here Comes Boris!”

The transition of power in Britain is lightening quick. The United Kingdom is not without a premier for more than an hour. The outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May will curtsy to the Queen Wednesday afternoon and resign. Johnson will bow and be asked to form a new government.

When Johnson walks through the black enameled door of 10 Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon, he will fulfill what his biographers describe as his relentless “blond ambition” to follow his hero, Winston Churchill, into Britain’s top job.

He will immediately face the buzz saw of Brexit. And although his supporters hope the charismatic Johnson will rally a divided Parliament and a divided country in a way that Theresa May failed to do, he comes into office as a controversial leader, not especially well-liked by most Brits.

Johnson — a bombastic, Latin-quoting Oxford classicist with a mop of intentionally mussed yellow hair — made his name as an over-the-top journalist and a colorful London mayor. He then galvanized the successful Brexit campaign in 2016, which won him many fans and many enemies. 

[Who is Boris Johnson? Everything you need to know about Britain’s next prime minister.]

On Wednesday, the transition began when Theresa May appeared in the House of Commons for her last session of prime minister’s questions, a weekly exchange between the ruling government and the opposition, as tradition dictates, “two sword lengths apart.”

There were many lines applauding May’s term and her 33 years in public service, and many calling her a failure.

When Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn laid into May, saying that under her tenure, child poverty was up, pensioner poverty was up, school class size was up, food bank use was up — May retorted that she was proud of her record. “That’s what my government has delivered. More jobs, healthier finances and an economy fit for the future.”

May eyed Corbyn and poked him with her blade: “As a party leader who has accepted when her time was up, perhaps the time is now for him to do the same.”

Theresa May tells Jeremy Corbyn to quit during her last exchange in Parliament as prime minister with the Labour leader.

May offered tepid support for her successor, whom opposition rivals called “flagrant” and “reckless,” a usurper with no mandate, and someone who is prepared to “sell our country out to Donald Trump and his friends.”

May said she was “pleased” to hand over to Johnson, whom I worked with when he was in my cabinet,” and who is committed to delivering Brexit. Johnson notably quit May’s Cabinet over her handling of Brexit.

After she steps down as leader, May will return to the back benches of Parliament as an ordinary and not very influential lawmaker.

Outside the House of Commons, Fleet Street was in a tizzy over possible picks for Johnson’s team — including the “great offices of state” — the chancellor, foreign secretary and home secretary — and what they could mean for Brexit and his style of governing. Johnson has just 99 days to find a Brexit solution. Otherwise, he has warned that Britain might accept the economic risk of leaving the bloc without a withdrawal agreement or transition period.

Will Johnson lean towards compromise? Or tilt towards a ‘no deal’ Brexit? The line-up of his top team could also signal whether he intends to govern, as he suggested on the campaign trail, like he did as mayor of London, where he was known as a liberal Conservative.

Britain’s newspapers heralded former London Mayor Boris Johnson as he prepared to take over as prime minister, July 24.

May will soon deliver farewell remarks at Downing Street and then travel to Buckingham Palace — probably under the watchful eye of hovering media helicopters — where she will tender her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II and recommend Johnson as the person who can command the confidence of the House of Commons. 

After May’s car leaves the palace, one carrying Johnson will arrive for a ceremony known as “kissing hands.”

In the movie “The Queen,” starring Helen Mirren, the actor playing Tony Blair kissed the hand of the monarch, but in reality, there’s more likely to be shaking hands. Theresa May shook hands and curtseyed — deeply — during her meeting with the queen when she became prime minister.

Adrian Dennis

AFP/Getty Images

Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband, Philip, stand outside 10 Downing Street on July 13, 2016.

Johnson will be the queen’s 14th prime minister. Over the course of her long reign, Elizabeth II has seen them come and go: Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and now Johnson.

Much attention today will focus on his remarks after he leaves the palace. The first speech a prime minister delivers is heavily scrutinized and often long remembered. 

For her first speech as prime minister, May talked of tackling “burning injustices” in society and leading a government that worked for everyone, not the “privileged few.” Those promises for a Tory-led “social justice” program were often thrown back in her face, when May mostly failed to address those issues. She was consumed with Brexit. The same could happen to her successor.

Matt Hancock, a Conservative politician who has been helping with Johnson’s campaign, told the BBC he expected Johnson’s speech to include “a surprising amount of detail, especially on the domestic agenda.” He said that, at the same time as delivering Brexit, Johnson wanted to focus on domestic issues and pointed out that on the campaign trail Johnson spoke about education, social care and policing.

Once prime minister, Johnson is expected to start naming his new team and new cabinet. Johnson has said he wants a cabinet rich with pro-Brexit voices — with each chair filled by someone who is okay with the incoming prime minister’s vow, that if he does not get the Brexit deal he wants from Europe, then Britain will crash out with no deal.

Johnson handily won the leadership contest on Tuesday. The former foreign secretary Johnson captured 92,153 votes to current foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt’s 46,656 — a decisive victory. 

Tolga Akmen

AFP/Getty Images

New Conservative Party leader and incoming prime minister Boris Johnsonleaves his campaign office in central London on Tuesday.

But the vote involved only dues-paying members of the Conservative Party. A mere 139,000 people cast ballots in a country of 66 million. A lot of Britons feel left out at a pivotal moment. On social media, #NotMyPM was one of the many Johnson-related hashtags trending. A YouGov survey found that 58 percent of Brits have a negative opinion of Johnson — a wicked-high number for a first day on the job.

The 55-year-old Johnson will take up residence at Downing Street. His 31-year-old girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, a former Conservative Party communications official and a top Tory spinner, may move in over the weekend, according to British news reports. Expect a lot of tabloid interest in this unprecedented arrangement.

When Johnson clocks in, he will face an overflowing in-tray of items that need urgent attention, including a showdown in the Persian Gulf with a belligerent Iran. The two countries have been in a tense standoff since Britain impounded an Iranian tanker suspected of sending oil to Syria, and Iran retaliated by seizing a British-flagged oil tanker last week.

Politics watchers are keen to see whether Johnson continues Britain’s effort to salvage the 2015 deal designed to discourage Iran from developing nuclear weapons, or whether he bends to U.S. pressure to impose sanctions on Iran.

[Want to understand Boris Johnson, Britain’s probable next prime minister? Read his incendiary journalism.]

But Johnson’s main challenge will be getting Britain out of the European Union.

May’s failure to deliver Brexit on time was the reason her Tory lawmakers ousted her.

Read more

Who is Boris Johnson? His life in photos.

Boris Johnson wins vote to be U.K. prime minister

Theresa May packs her bags, her legacy dominated by failure

Want to understand Boris Johnson? Read his journalism.

What Boris Johnson said about Trump when he wasn’t being so diplomatic

Boris Johnson says he’s prepared for a no-deal Brexit. Critics say he’s reckless.

Boris Johnson’s rise could be a preamble to his fall

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/boris-johnson-uk-prime-minister/2019/07/24/42bce126-ac93-11e9-9411-a608f9d0c2d3_story.html

2019-07-24 11:59:01Z
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Iran tanker seizure: Owner makes first contact with crew - BBC News

The crew of a British-flagged tanker that was seized in the Gulf are "safe", the vessel's owner has said after speaking to them for the first time.

The British-flagged Stena Impero and its 23 crew were taken by Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Friday.

The owner, Stena Bulk, made contact on Tuesday with the ship's master who said they were safe and there was good co-operation with the Iranians on board.

The vessel seizure came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the UK.

Iran said it had detained the Stena Impero on 19 July because it collided with a fishing boat, but Stena Bulk has said it has received no evidence of a collision.

The firm said the family members of the crew - who are Indian, Russian, Latvian and Filipino - were being kept updated on the latest developments and being offered its full support.

Its chief executive, Erik Hanell, said he hoped the phone contact was "a first sign that we will soon see more positive progress from the Iranian authorities".

A spokesman for Stena Bulk said the next step would be to try and get somebody on board to check on the crew, but there was no timeline for when they might be repatriated.

On Monday, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called on Iran to release the tanker and its crew, describing its seizure as "state piracy".

The same day Iranian state media released images which appeared to show cooks preparing meals and crew members being briefed by an Iranian official.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has praised Iran's Revolutionary Guard for the seizure in the Strait of Hormuz, saying they were "brave" and acted in a "professional" manner.

Mr Rouhani added that the Strait of Hormuz - a key shipping route - was "no place for games" and no country could ignore international rules, his official website reported.

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Tensions between the UK and Iran deteriorated earlier this month when Royal Marines seized an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar which was suspected of breaking EU sanctions.

In response to the incident, Iran threatened to seize a British oil tanker.

Relations between Iran and the US have also deteriorated, after the White House tightened sanctions on Tehran following its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49095150

2019-07-24 10:28:52Z
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