Boris Johnson pictured drinking at lockdown party in No 10

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( May 24, 2022 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Boris Johnson pictured drinking at lockdown party in No 10]( Boris Johnson is facing questions over whether he misled parliament after photographs were published showing him drinking with Downing Street staff during England's second Covid lockdown in 2020. The pictures, obtained by ITV News, throw doubt on the prime minister's claim to the House of Commons that no party took place and no rules were broken in No 10. The images appear to show the prime minister taking part in the leaving party for former director of communications Lee Cain on 13 November 2020. They come as Westminster awaits the imminent publication of Sue Gray's report into the Partygate scandal.   2 / [Russia organising massacre in Donbas, says Volodymyr Zelensky]( At Davos, Ukraine president criticises west’s failure to take tougher action after Crimea annexation 3 / [Afghanistan: UK's withdrawal a disaster, inquiry concludes]( A Foreign Affairs Committee report was scathing of the Government’s handling of the evacuation of Afghanistan 4 / [Average asking prices for UK properties soar to record high with 10% rise in last year]( Cost-of-living crisis has not deterred home-buyers, says Rightmove 5 / [The Queen tours Chelsea Flower show in a buggy]( 96-year-old monarch has attended annual flower show more than 50 times during her reign     The Big Question Will the Sue Gray report draw a line under Partygate? Senior civil servant Sue Gray is expected to finally publish her full report into the “Partygate” scandal over lockdown rule-breaking in Downing Street this week after the Metropolitan Police completed its own investigation into the affair. The Met issued 126 fixed-penalty notices to 83 individuals in total over the series of parties that took place behind closed doors in Westminster while the rest of the country was asked to observe the same administration’s strict social distancing rules at the height of the pandemic, a moment in which many people were unable to visit sick or dying loved ones because of the measures in place to contain the spread of Covid-19. Depending on what Ms Gray has to say, could this mark the end of the long-running political scandal or is Boris Johnson likely to remain under fire? [Read the full story >](   Watch/ [‘Fundamentally wrong’: Refugee charity prepares legal challenge to UK’s Rwanda asylum plan](   NUMBER OF THE DAY 56 – Monkeypox cases have [more than doubled in the UK to 56]( as the disease continues to spread globally.   QUOTE OF THE DAY “Any reasonable person looking at some of these photos will only be able to conclude that the PM obviously lied to the Commons, and possibly to the cops, and there is no reasonable story for how others were fined for event X but not him.” – Photos will show that Boris Johnson “obviously lied” to police and the House of Commons about Downing Street parties, [the PM’s former top aide Dominic Cummings has claimed, hours before several photos of the PM at a No 10 gathering leaked.](       Other stories you might like   [Kate Moss will testify for Johnny Depp at Amber Heard defamation trial, reports say](   [University lecturer who called Sikhs ‘you lot’ and colleague’s turban ‘a bandage’ struck off](   [Monkeypox: Virus fears in Canary Islands as British tourist tested](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers The Independent: [Partygate reminds us that the government must work with civil servants](   Other newsletters you might like [US morning headlines] US Morning Headlines Weekdays, 12pm (UK time) Written by Andrew Naughtie [Sign up]( [Climate warrior] Climate Warrior Every Wednesday, 8am (UK time) Written by climate activists [Sign up](   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](.