"UK's Johnson and Sunak embroiled in WhatsApp drama and Covid controversy"

The official inquiry into how the UK handled the COVID-19 pandemic is centered around thousands of WhatsApp messages exchanged between then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and government ministers, aides, and officials. The Conservative government, now led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, wants to edit the messages before handing them over, saying some are personal and irrelevant to the inquiry. The inquiry is due to scrutinize the UK's preparedness for a pandemic, how the government responded, and whether the "level of loss was inevitable or whether things could have been done better." Public hearings are scheduled to begin June 13 and last until 2026, with the former prime minister and a host of senior officials due to give evidence.