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Boris Johnson has said he is “very much” looking forward to appearing before MPs investigating whether he knowingly misled parliament over partygate.

The former prime minister earlier on Tuesday said he accepts he misled parliament over partygate but insisted his statements were made “in good faith”.

On the eve of his appearance in front of the privileges committee on Wednesday, he said: “I look forward very much to the committee session tomorrow.

“I believe that the evidence conclusively shows that I did not knowingly or recklessly mislead parliament.

“The committee has produced not a shred of evidence to show that I have.”

Mr Johnson and his team are understood to be “very confident” ahead of his appearance.

The former prime minister earlier accused the privileges committee of having gone “significantly beyond its terms of reference” with its probe into whether he knowingly lied to MPs.

In his written evidence to the committee, published on Tuesday, Mr Johnson said it was “unprecedented and absurd” to claim that relying on assurances from “trusted advisers” was “in some way reckless”.

But the committee hit back with a scathing statement which said the submission contains “no new evidence” in his defence, and an earlier version had to be re-submitted because of “errors and typos”.

Boris Johnson to appear in front of the privileges committee from 2pm tomorrow – watch and follow live on Sky News

Boris Johnson
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Boris Johnson pictured at one of the Downing Street gatherings

The committee launched its probe in the wake of Sue Gray’s partygate report, which blamed a “failure of leadership and judgement” for the lockdown-busting parties that took place in Number 10 during the COVID pandemic.

The report criticised the culture that existed “at the heart of government” at a time when the rest of the country was ordered to follow strict social distancing guidelines.

Mr Johnson said he accepts the House of Commons “was misled by my statements that the rules and guidance had been followed completely at No 10”.

“But when the statements were made, they were made in good faith and on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time,” he added.

Other key points in Mr Johnson’s evidence:

• Mr Johnson insisted that other than the “assertions of the discredited Dominic Cummings”, his former aide, there is “not a single document that indicates that I received any warning or advice that any event broke” the rules

• He rejected the committee’s belief that the evidence strongly suggested breaches of coronavirus rules would have been “obvious” to him while prime minister, calling the allegation “illogical”

• He argued that some of those who attended the events “wished me ill and would denounce me if I concealed the truth”

• He criticised the “highly partisan tone and content” in the committee’s damning interim report

• Referring to allegations of rule-breaking, the ex-prime minister said that any lack of social distancing in the “old, cramped London townhouse” of Number 10 was not necessarily a breach of guidance

• He said that while he personally attended five of the events considered by the committee, he “honestly believed that these events were lawful work gatherings”

• While he said he accepts the conclusion of the Met Police investigation, he said that it “remains unclear” to him – and possibly Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – about why they were fined for breaching lockdown laws

• He did not deny joking that he was at “probably the most unsocially distanced gathering in the UK right now” during a boozy mid-pandemic leaving do, but said he did not recall making the remark

Mr Johnson conceded in his evidence that his statements to parliament “did not turn out to be correct”, but insisted he corrected the record at “the earliest opportunity”.

“I did not intentionally or recklessly mislead the House on December 1 2021, December 8 2021, or on any other date,” he said.

“I would never have dreamed of doing so.”

Members of the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group called his defence “sickening” and called for him to resign as an MP.

Becky Kummer, a spokesperson for the group, said it’s “obvious” that the former leader “deliberately misled parliament”, adding: “Far worse though is the lies he deliberately told to families like mine, after failing to protect our loved ones. His claim that he did so in ‘good faith’ is sickening.”

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Partygate inquiry explained

The 52-page defence dossier was published a day before Mr Johnson faces a live grilling by the cross-party group of MPs in a hearing that could decide his political fate.

In response to his evidence, the committee said Mr Johnson’s legal argument “contains no new documentary evidence” and that it had to be resubmitted on Tuesday because of “a number of errors and typos”.

What is the committee investigating?

If Mr Johnson fails to convince the committee he did not deliberately mislead the Commons, he could be found to have committed a contempt of parliament.

A suspension of more than 10 days could result in a high-profile by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat – though MPs will have to vote on any recommendations.

Boris Johnson at a gathering on 14 January 2021
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Boris Johnson at a gathering on 14 January 2021

In an interim report into its investigation published earlier this month, the committee said the evidence it had gathered “strongly suggests” it would have been “obvious” to Mr Johnson that COVID rules were being breached at Downing Street gatherings he attended.

It said it had identified at least four occasions where Mr Johnson may have misled MPs, which will form the backbone of its investigation.

The first instance was when Mr Johnson told MPs in December 2021 that no rules or guidance had been broken – when subsequent investigations by Ms Gray and the Met Police found otherwise.

The second occasion came when the former prime minister failed to tell the Commons about his own knowledge of gatherings where the rules or guidance had been broken, when evidence showed he had been present at some of them.

Boris Johnson
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Mr Johnson could be suspended from the Commons if he is found to have misled the House

Thirdly, the committee said MPs may have been misled when Mr Johnson claimed on 8 December 2021 he had been given “repeated assurances” that rules were not broken.

However, these assurances only applied to one event on 18 December 2020 and not to compliance with the rules and guidance more generally.

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Finally, the committee said Mr Johnson gave the impression that he could only answer MPs’ questions once the investigation by Ms Gray had determined whether rules or guidance had actually been broken.

“While repeatedly making that statement to the House he appears to have had personal knowledge he did not reveal,” the committee said.

Read more:
The key parts of Boris Johnson’s partygate evidence
How he defends each of his partygate statements to parliament

As well as being required to be truthful to parliament at all times, MPs are also encouraged to correct the record at the earliest opportunity if they have inadvertently said something wrong.

The committee said in its interim findings that Mr Johnson “did not use the well-established procedures of the House” to correct the record, as is convention.

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Haiti gang boss hints at possible ceasefire – but warns foreign forces they will be treated as ‘invaders’

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Haiti gang boss hints at possible ceasefire - but warns foreign forces they will be treated as 'invaders'

The head of one of Haiti’s most powerful gangs, and the de-facto head of a consortium of gangs that have brought Port-au-Prince to a standstill has told Sky News he would consider a ceasefire and talks on the political future of the country if they were included.

But Jimmy Cherizier, known universally as “Barbecue”, has predicted that more violence is imminent, adding that a recent halt in the fighting is purely a technical pause.

“There is nothing calm, but when you’re fighting you have to know when to advance and when to retreat,” he said.

“I think every day that passes we are coming up with a new strategy so we can advance, but there’s nothing calm.

“In the days that are coming things will get worse than they are now…” he told me sitting in an alleyway in his stronghold.

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Political parties in Haiti, overseen by CARICOM, the Caribbean economic union of countries, are trying to form a transitional council that will take over the running of the country after the Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is currently in the United States, stands down.

Cherizier has said they “respect CARICOM a lot” but dismissed the process as unrepresentative of the needs of the ordinary people and a smokescreen to allow “corrupt politicians” and what he calls “corrupt oligarchs” to continue running the country.

The only way the situation can move on, he insisted, is if the peace process includes him and his gang coalition.

“If the international community comes with a detailed plan where we can sit together and talk, but they do not impose on us what we should decide, I think that the weapons could be lowered,” he added.

“We don’t believe in killing people and massacring people, we believe in dialogue, we have weapons in our hand and it’s with the weapons that we must liberate this country.”

Jimmy Cherizier speaks to Sky's Stuart Ramsay
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Jimmy Cherizier speaks to Sky’s Stuart Ramsay

Read more:
What is happening in Haiti?
Vigilantes defending Haiti neighbourhood ‘tooth and nail’

A vortex of violence and poverty

Haiti has been paralysed by weeks of violence that has seen whole districts burnt to the ground, tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes, while murder, rape, and gun battles are a daily occurrence.

Port-au-Prince is 80% controlled by the gangs and normal life has virtually stopped.

To get to Barbecue we were guided down a now-deserted motorway pockmarked with burnt out sections of tarmac and abandoned and burnt-out vehicles.

It’s one of the main economic highways in the capital, and now totally under his control.

We were told that their snipers were watching us, and to drive slowly, and follow our guide’s every move.

We then turned off the main road and drove through a warren of backstreets, to a meeting point where we were greeted by a group of armed gunmen in balaclavas.

One of the main economic highways in the capital is now totally under Barbecue's control
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One of the main economic highways in the capital is now totally under Barbecue’s control

I’ve met Barbecue before, and I knew where we were going, but everything was different this time – that deserted highway was free flowing the last time I was here. Now it is a barricaded battlefield.

Another difference is that last time we met, he wasn’t too keen on us filming his armed guards, but now he positively wanted us to see them, and was carrying two weapons himself.

The reason is simple. He is at war, and he wants the authorities and his enemies here to know that it is a war.

He’s not responsible for all the violence sweeping across Haiti’s capital but, be under no doubt, he is at the centre of it and his fighters are never far away.

Barbecue sees himself as a revolutionary for the people, and he rails against corrupt politicians and oligarchs.

He has dismissed all the efforts under way here to form a transitional council that will govern Haiti.

“We believe in dialogue, we are for dialogue, but this political class that is here now is not here for dialogue, the reason is that they don’t carry Haiti in their hearts the same way that we do.

“The political class say they are excluding bandits, that men with guns are not in it, but this is a way for them to revive the same system, because the system has reached its end.

Stuart Ramsay eyewitness Haiti turmoil
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Stuart Ramsay eyewitness Haiti turmoil

“The divide between rich and poor is too vast, in the whole world there is a divide between rich and poor, but the way it’s done in Haiti is indecent,” he told me.

He suggested though, that he is open to some form of negotiations as long as they’re represented.

“We are ready for all solutions as long as Haitians are at the table, we are ready to sit and talk with everyone, because we are not proud of what is happening in this country…”

I asked him if he accepts that if they want to have talks, they’ll have to put down their weapons.

“The weapons will be lowered when they need to be lowered,” he replied.

“At the moment we haven’t got to the point where we should put down our weapons, because the people here don’t want to listen to reason.

“We have been hearing about dialogue for more than two or three years.

“We’ve been asking for everyone to sit down and talk to the people with guns, and no one heard us. Today we have reached the point where we are advancing and our objective is clear.”

Surrounded by well-armed gunmen, Barbecue took me for a walk around some of his newly acquired territory.

He took us through the roadblocks of buses they’ve put in place to stop police raids here.

He says the last major police assault was eight days ago and he’s not sure when there will be another.

Inside his territory, despite the poverty, life is relatively peaceful and organised.

Barbecue said we should see food distribution taking place inside his community.

And unlike what we have seen in other parts of Port-au-Prince, the queues for the food Barbecue gets brought in are orderly.

People queue for food in Barbecue's territory
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People queue for food in Barbecue’s territory

The essential difference is the people waiting in line know there’s enough food and water supplies for the whole community. They just need to wait.

The issue here though is whether a poor area, controlled by a gang boss, is getting better treatment than poor areas controlled by the government.

This is the source of Barbecue’s strength.

Cherizier, a former policeman, sees himself as a sort of revolutionary freedom fighter in the style of Che Guevara, and a Robin Hood type figure for his community.

For much of the international community though, and many in Haiti, he is a criminal gang leader.

Watched on by his well-armed and battle-hardened soldiers, Barbecue says plans for an international force led by Kenya to impose peace in Port-au-Prince will lead to more violence, whoever is in charge.

When I met him last in January 2023 I asked about foreign forces. He said at the time innocent people would die if they came in. I wondered if he still held the same view.

“I believe that just like I said, if the Kenyans come, first of all they will come to commit massacres in the poor communities, because the oligarchs and the corrupt politicians are going to tell them where to go on the pretext that they’re coming to eliminate gangs and bandits, and they’re going to enter the poor communities to commit massacres,” he said.

“We at this moment who have weapons in our hands are not going to allow this.

“It’s evolving. If the Kenyan military or Kenyan police come, whatever, I will consider them as aggressors, we will consider them as invaders, and we do not have to collaborate with any invaders that have come to walk over our independence.”

Barbecue is not only leader of the G9 group of gangs, he is now also the leader of Viv Ansanm (Living Together) revolutionary group, a newly formed gang alliance.

He said he’s trying to reign the more violent gangs in, and that they need to change their ways or risk losing their revolution.

“Viv Ansanm is a collective leadership – I can’t force them. If I use force against them it will be an endless fight, we will never be able to accomplish what we want to against the people who have created this situation,” he explained.

“But every day every day we talk seven or eight times on the phone, and each time we hear on the news that they kidnap someone or something bad is done.

“I always call the guys on the phone to see how together we can correct this, and even they who have been doing it are starting to be conscious that this is bad and that they’re not going to do it anymore.

“But me I just assure myself that I continue talking to them for them to stop and not continue to do it.

“I think in time we will find a solution with a country where there are no kidnappings, without raping and killing people, and in the end we will chase the corrupt politicians and the corrupt oligarchs out of the country.”

Cherizier flies a kite
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Cherizier flies a kite

As we were getting ready to leave Cherizier paused to fly a kite.

It’s an early Easter tradition here. He laughed and joked with his people. He’s an unlikely hero but here in his territory he is.

In truth no ordinary society needs people like Barbecue, but Haiti isn’t normal.

How or when it achieves normality is impossible to predict.

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Baltimore bridge collapse: Bodies of two victims recovered, after audio of first responder call emerged

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Baltimore bridge collapse: Bodies of two victims recovered, after audio of first responder call emerged

The bodies of two victims of the Baltimore bridge collapse have been recovered from a red pick-up truck that was found in about 25 feet of water, authorities have said.

The bodies have been pulled from the Patapsco River a day after the 1.6-mile long Frances Scott Key Bridge crashed into the water when it was struck by a container vessel in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The men recovered have been identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, who was from Mexico and lived in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, who was from Guatemala and lived in Dundalk, Maryland.

Colonel Roland L. Butler Jr from Maryland State Police said the truck containing the bodies was found near the mid-section of the fallen bridge at around 10am local time (2pm UK time).

He also said further efforts to recover remains were being suspended because of the increasingly treacherous conditions.

Four people are still missing and are presumed dead as officials said the recovery mission is now a salvage operation because it is no longer safe for divers to navigate or operate around the debris and concrete in the port.

Police have said sonar vehicles have led officials to believe the vehicles still trapped underwater are encased in concrete and the structures that crashed down after the collision.

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New angle shows moment bridge hit

Maryland State Police added that responding officers have “exhausted all search efforts” to recover the remaining victims and that divers stopped searching the water at around 4pm local time (8pm UK time) today.

The six men, who were from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, were part of a crew filling potholes on the bridge’s road surface at the time of the collapse.

Earlier, the first two missing construction workers to be named were Miguel Luna, a 49-year-old from El Salvador, and Maynard Sandoval, a 37-year-old father-of-two.

It came after audio emerged of a first responder call as officials halted traffic on both sides of the bridge moments before it collapsed.

The cargo ship had issued a mayday call to alert authorities it had lost power before it collided with the Baltimore bridge on Tuesday morning.

Following the call, Maryland Transportation Authority Police Dispatch and Response officials acted swiftly, shutting down the north and south sides of the bridge.

Read more:
Everything we know about the disaster
First missing worker named

In the audio, one official instructs: “Hold all traffic on the Key Bridge… There’s a ship approaching that just lost their steering so until we get that under control, we’ve got to stop all traffic.

“Make sure no one’s on the bridge right now. There’s a crew up there… You might want to notify the foreman to see if we can get them off the bridge temporarily.”

Another responds saying he would “grab the workers” but it was too late.

A second later, a voice is heard saying: “The whole bridge just fell down. Start, start whoever… everybody. The whole bridge just collapsed.”

In other developments, investigators at the National Safety Transportation Board have confirmed that the cargo ship’s data recorder has now been recovered – and they are examining whether contaminated fuel played a role in the crash.

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The Dali ship ploughed into one of the bridge’s supports and, in an instant, the structure had fallen into the Patapsco River, along with vehicles that were on it at the time.

All 22 crew members on board the ship, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there were no reports of injuries.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a view of the Francis Scott Key Bridge that was struck by a container ship in Baltimore, Md., on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.  The container ship lost power and rammed into the major bridge causing the span to buckle into the river below. (Maxaar Technologies via AP)
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A satellite image of the incident. Pic: AP

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said he spoke to the families of the victims, assuring them since the mission had transitioned from search and rescue to recovery he would “put every possible resource to bring [them] a sense of closure”.

He praised the “true heroism” of the first responders who “saved countless lives that night”.

Mr Moore also said he was “overwhelmed” by the amount of support from both the Democratic and Republican parties as he stressed the importance of getting the bridge rebuilt.

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‘True accountability’ for Baltimore bridge collapse

How did the Baltimore bridge collapse unfold?

Here we take a look at a timeline of the collapse on Tuesday 26 March and the events that followed in local time.

1.04am. A 289m-long container ship, named the Dali, departs from Baltimore’s port and is headed to Colombo in Sri Lanka.

1.24am. Footage shows the Dali slowly approaching the bridge.

1.24am and 33 seconds. The enormous vessel appears to suffer a total power failure as all its lights go out.

1.25am and 31 seconds. About a minute later, the ship’s lights flicker back on but black smoke starts rising from somewhere aboard the ship.

1.26am and 37 seconds. The ship’s lights go dark again.

Sometime after this point the cargo ship issued a mayday call to alert authorities it had lost power. US President Joe Biden later said this “undoubtedly saved lives” as it meant local authorities were able to close the bridge.

1.27am. Dali appears to be colliding with one of the Key Bridge’s upright supports. The U.S. Coast Guard receives first report of collision.

1.27am and 10 seconds. The ship’s lights come back on.

1.28am and 48 seconds. The road surface and steel beams of the Key Bridge begin collapsing – with footage later showing the structure crashing into the water along with vehicles that were on it.

1.29am. Most of the bridge’s span has plunged beneath the water.

1.40am. Baltimore City Fire Department dispatched rescue teams for the Patapsco River, with reports of multiple people in the water. Six missing people were later presumed dead before a recovery operation got under way.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has promised that he will visit Baltimore “as soon as possible”, adding that the federal government will cover the “full cost” of rebuilding the bridge – which experts say could be over $600m (£474m).

He told reporters: “Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident. At this time we have no other indication, no other reason to believe there’s any intentional act here.

“Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel.”

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Timeline of Baltimore bridge collapse

Mr Biden added that this meant local authorities were able to close the bridge before it was struck, which “undoubtedly saved lives”.

He continued: “Our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families [affected], especially those waiting for news of their loved one right now. I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime.”

The Key Bridge carries the Interstate 695 highway over the Patapsco River southeast of the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Its main section spans 1,200 feet and was one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world upon its completion, according to the National Steel Bridge Alliance.

The Dali was previously involved in a minor incident when it hit a quay at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium in 2016, where it was damaged, according to Vessel Finder and maritime accident site Shipwrecklog.

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Macron and Lula ‘bromance’ on Brazilian island sparks social media frenzy

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Macron and Lula 'bromance' on Brazilian island sparks social media frenzy

The presidents of France and Brazil – both wearing white open-necked shirts – have been pictured smiling warmly at each other and embracing, with social media users calling it a “bromance”.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva clutched Emmanuel Macron’s hand as he led him through some difficult terrain on the island of Combu in the Amazon rainforest.

The leaders stopped and smiled for the cameras, as Mr da Silva, also known as Lula, clutched his French counterpart’s wrist.

When they headed off again, Mr Macron was grinning widely.

Lula da Silva leads Emmanuel Macron along an island path. Pic: AP
Image:
Lula da Silva leads Emmanuel Macron along an island path. Pic: AP

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Emmanuel Macron on Combu Island. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Emmanuel Macron on Combu Island in Brazil. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

The pictures have been delighting people on the internet.

A social media user on X said: “Macron and Lula look like they just got married and are having a whirlwind honeymoon”, while another wrote: “Pre-wedding shoot of the year.”

Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

Mr Macron has been on a three-day visit to Brazil that aims to relaunch the bilateral relationship and strategic partnership which stalled during the previous government of Jair Bolsonaro.

It is not the first time the French president has appeared to enjoy a close friendship with a fellow world leader.

He and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak seemed to get on well when they met in Paris in March 2023.

“Le bromance” was mooted. The pair had similar backgrounds, were close in age, and even had a comparable sartorial style, it was suggested.

Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris last year. Pic: Reuters
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With Rishi Sunak at the Elysee Palace in Paris last year. Pic: Reuters

Emmanuel Macron and Rishi Sunak in Paris last year. Pic: Reuters

There were also some chuckles with former PM Boris Johnson, although, according to Reuters, the two men had some disagreements over “sausages and submarines”.

Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron in Brussels in March 2022. Pic: Reuters
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With Boris Johnson in Brussels in March 2022. Pic: Reuters

Mr Macron also appeared to enjoy Donald Trump’s company.

“The couple seemed happy to be together again,” wrote The New York Times in April 2018 when the French president visited the White House.

“I like him a lot,” Mr Trump told reporters.

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Earlier, in the Oval Office, the then American leader had “gently brushed what he said was dandruff off Mr Macron’s shoulder”, the paper reported.

Its correspondent added: “Moments later, as they sat side by side, Mr Macron placed his hand on Mr Trump’s knee.”

That may be a bromance that could be revived later in the year, should Mr Trump win a second term in the White House.

Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in April 2018. Pic: Reuters
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Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump at the White House in April 2018. Pic: Reuters

Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump at the White House in April 2018. Pic: Reuters

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