No 10 officials admit to holding back Partygate information amid fears

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( January 24, 2022 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [No 10 officials admit holding back information from Partygate inquiry after being ‘frightened into silence’]( Officials working in No 10 claim they have held back information from Sue Gray’s investigation into the Partygate scandal due to a “culture of fear” surrounding the probe. Three sources told The Independent they have not divulged messages and pictures on their phones after a senior member of staff told them to remove anything that could fuel speculation in the wake of the first party revelations. Messages in a WhatsApp group were said to contain photographs of people drinking and dancing, as well as references to how hungover people were the next day. 2 / [Man UK named as Putin’s choice to run Ukraine puppet regime says claim ‘fake news’]( Yevhen Murayev says he will sue over London’s assertion he is colluding with the Kremlin 3 / [Inquiry launched into Ghani’s claim she was sacked due to ‘Muslimness’]( Nusrat Ghani alleged she was told her Muslim faith was ‘making colleagues feel uncomfortable’ 4 / [No 10 police officers ‘interviewed in Partygate inquiry’]( Officers who guard No 10 have reportedly been interviewed as part of Sue Gray’s inquiry into Covid parties held at Downing Street. 5 / [Queen flown by helicopter to Sandringham for extended stay]( Her Majesty usually takes a winter break at the country retreat, but spent the festive season in Windsor Castle due to Covid-19 The Big Question Why would Russia invade Ukraine? With 106,000 Russian soldiers stationed near the Ukrainian border and tensions festering, fears are growing that Vladimir Putin intends to invade, despite his insistence to the contrary and US president Joe Biden warning him he will pay “a dear price” if he does. The threat comes after President Putin annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and sparked fighting in the Donbass region, where a low-level conflict is still rumbling on between Kyiv and separatists that has seen more than 14,000 people killed over the past eight years. Although the West hopes to alleviate tensions and the risk of war in the region, talks between the Kremlin and Nato have so far made little progress. But what are Moscow’s intentions and why would Mr Putin have an interest in invading the neighbour state? [Read the full story >]( Watch / [Robot capable of collecting rubbish floating on water and buried in seabed developed]( NUMBER OF THE DAY 30% Two major ports in Wales saw trade plummet by 30 per cent in 2021 as a result of post-Brexit changes in the way freight is moved, ferry operator Stena Line UK, who runs the Holyhead and Fishguard ports. QUOTE OF THE DAY “It does show that there’s a group of people who maybe backed the Tories for the first time who are having second thoughts.” – Sir [Tony Blair]( has told The Independent the [Labour]( Party must capitalise on the defection of a red wall Tory MP by laying claim to the centre ground Other stories you might like [French fashion designer Thierry Mugler dies, aged 73]( [The Green Planet: The BBC’s own fight for survival looms large]( [Hakim Ziyech stunner inspires Chelsea victory over timid Tottenham]( Articles available exclusively to subscribers Ashley Cowburn, The Independent: [How does a no confidence vote work in the Conservative Party?]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.