International
Death of Queen Elizabeth II: What happens next?
AFP | by Alice RITCHIE
As preparations build for next week’s state funeral and with a procession of the coffin along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on Monday: here is how the UK plans to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II.
Monday, September 12
King Charles III and his wife Camilla, now Queen Consort, visit parliament, to receive condolences from the speakers of the lower and upper houses, before delivering a reply.
The royal couple fly to Edinburgh and at the Palace of Holyroodhouse the king will take part in the Ceremony of the Keys, where he will symbolically receive — and then return — the keys to the city.
In the afternoon, the king and other royals take part in a procession to convey the queen’s coffin along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral, before a religious service.
After his first audience with Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and a visit to the Scottish parliament, Charles III returns to St Giles’ to take part in a vigil over the coffin — known as the Vigil of the Princes — with other family members.
From 5:30 pm (1630 GMT) until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, members of the public can file past to pay their respects as the coffin lies at rest guarded by the Royal Company of Archers.
The king and his wife will be joined in Scotland — and on his tour of Northern Ireland and Wales — by Prime Minister Liz Truss, Downing Street said.
“It’s not a requirement,” Truss’s spokesman told reporters.
“But the prime minister believes it’s important to be present for what will be a significant moment of national mourning around the United Kingdom.”
Tuesday, September 13
The queen’s coffin is flown by the Royal Air Force from Edinburgh to RAF Northolt near London, accompanied by the queen’s only daughter Anne, the Princess Royal, and driven to Buckingham Palace, to rest in the Bow Room.
Charles III and his wife fly to Belfast, where he will meet Northern Ireland’s party leaders and receive a message of condolence led by the speaker of the devolved assembly.
The king meets leaders from all the major faiths in Northern Ireland before attending a prayer service at St Anne’s Cathedral and returns to London.
Wednesday, September 14
The king leads the procession behind the gun carriage carrying the queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to parliament’s Westminster Hall.
It is then placed on a catafalque, a raised platform, and during the lying-in state another “Vigil of the Princes” involving the queen’s children and other senior royals, will take place.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will conduct a short service after the coffin arrives, attended by the king.
The late queen will lie in state until the funeral, with huge crowds expected as members of the public pay their respects.
Friday, September 16
Charles III and his wife visit Wales where a service is held at Cardiff’s Llandaff Cathedral and Charles receives a message of condolence at the Senedd, the Welsh national assembly building.
The visit to Wales completes trips to all four nations that make up the United Kingdom.
Monday, September 19
The queen’s coffin is taken in procession to Westminster Abbey for a state funeral at 11:00 am expected to be watched by millions around the world.
Political leaders and heads of state including US President Joe Biden are expected to attend, sparking a major security operation.
After the funeral, the coffin is taken to Windsor, for a televised committal service at St George’s Chapel, with a private interment planned for later in the evening.
The queen will be interred at the King George VI memorial chapel, alongside her husband, Prince Philip, the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret, their mother, also called Elizabeth, and father, George VI.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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