Boris Johnson information at this time: PM below strain to tighten internet on Russian oligarchs’ illicit cash

Prime minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of committing conflict crimes in Ukraine.

“What we’ve seen already from Vladimir Putin’s regime in the usage of the munitions that they’ve already been dropping on harmless civilians. For my part [it] already absolutely qualifies as a conflict crime,” he instructed the British parliament.

Prime minister Boris Johnson is below strain to tighten the online on illicit Russian finance in “weeks, not years”, as officers confirmed that they’re conscious of rich oligarchs shifting money overseas.

Labour has tabled amendments to the federal government’s Financial Crimes Invoice to require the true possession of properties to be registered inside 28 days fairly than 18 months.

Anti-corruption campaigners Transparency Worldwide estimate that UK property value £1.5bn has been purchased since 2016 by Russians accused of corruption or hyperlinks to the Kremlin.

Boris Johnson is below hearth after claiming EU journey guidelines clarify its much more beneficiant provide to refugees from Ukraine, as criticism grows over the UK’s stance.

Beneath strain within the Commons, the PM stated the “Schengen border-free zone” – permitting passport-free journey – defined why the EU is waiving visas for folks fleeing the Russian invasion, reviews our deputy political editor Rob Merrick.

In actual fact, though an affiliation settlement does enable Ukrainians to enter the EU with no visa, that’s is just for 90 days and the foundations will likely be tightened by the tip of the 12 months.

Boris Johnson has formally accused Vladimir Putin of committing conflict crimes over his invasion of Ukraine.

The PM accused the Russian president of “abhorrent” assaults as Ukraine’s capital Kyiv braced for a siege and second metropolis Kharkiv suffered an extra pounding.

And after Mr Johnson spoke to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday morning, promising additional assist and weapons for the forces resisting Russia’s army, the UK for the primary time explicitly accused Mr Putin of conflict crimes.

At PMQs, Mr Johnson instructed MPs: “What we’ve seen already from Vladimir Putin’s regime in the usage of the munitions that they’ve already been dropping on harmless civilians, for my part, already absolutely qualifies as a conflict crime.”

He additionally promised to publish an inventory of individuals related to Mr Putin who could possibly be accountable for sanctions.

Greater than 2,000 civilians have died because the invasion, Ukraine’s state emergency service has stated, though that determine has not been independently verified.

In the meantime, the United Nations’ refugee company believes round 874,000 folks have fled Ukraine however that determine is quickly anticipated to achieve one million.

A authorities minister stated he “most likely wouldn’t be overly joyful” if his daughters had been positioned in a boarding home with a transgender woman.

In an inquiry from the Commons’ training choose committee, Will Quince, the minister for youngsters and households, was requested by Conservative MP Caroline Johnson in regards to the rising variety of transgender college students in UK colleges. She added that she had been contacted by dad and mom who had been involved about an 18-year-old trans woman sharing a boarding home with their teenage daughters.

He responded by saying the problem was a “little bit of a minefield” and that the DfE and Authorities Equalities Workplace are working collectively to offer steerage for colleges, writes Furvah Shah.

Over to Scotland. SNP chief Nicola Sturgeon has insisted there may be “no connection” between the conflict in Ukraine and the marketing campaign for Scottish independence, after a high celebration official was condemned for showing to make “crass” comparability between the 2.

Mike Russell, the SNP’s president, was criticised by opposition events after he used a newspaper column to liken Ukraine probably being dominated by Russia to Scotland being a part of the UK, writes Adam Forrest.

Mr Russell’s feedback had been branded “crass” by Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie, who stated he was astounded a senior SNP determine “would search to attract any parallels to the democratic choice of the folks of Scotland”.

Boris Johnson has promised to publish a full checklist of individuals and organisations related to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s regime, with Downing Avenue saying Britons ought to “think twice” earlier than coping with them.

There have been no instant particulars of who will characteristic on the checklist of “Putin’s friends”, however Downing Avenue indicated that it’s going to prolong properly past the eight oligarchs and 100-plus firms already sanctioned by the UK within the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson stated that sanctions is not going to essentially be utilized to all these that includes, whose names could be revealed “within the curiosity of transparency”, writes our political editor Andrew Woodcock.