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
Mexico City prepares for 13 million pilgrims at Basilica of Guadalupe
The Mexico City government is expecting at least 13 million pilgrims to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the December 12 celebrations honoring Mexico’s patron saint. To ensure the safety and care of visitors, authorities have launched the “Basilica Operation,” mobilizing more than 105,000 public servants.
Mayor Clara Brugada stated that the operation began on December 5 and will continue until December 14, covering the peak of visits to the basilica, located in the Gustavo A. Madero borough in the north of the city.
Key measures include reinforcement of the Metro public transport system, particularly at stations near the sanctuary, the installation of three helipads for medical emergencies, and the involvement of Civil Protection brigades, health ministry personnel, and public safety officers.
Secretary of Public Security Pablo Vázquez explained that the deployment also includes 255 patrol units and numerous specialized teams to manage crowds, traffic, and emergency situations, aiming to guarantee a secure experience for all pilgrims.
Central America
Mexico and Guatemala launch joint security operation after Agua Zarca border attack
The Government of Mexico announced on Tuesday that it has strengthened coordination with Guatemala following an armed confrontation in the community of Agua Zarca, in Guatemala’s Huehuetenango department, where a soldier was wounded in an attack attributed to organized-crime groups operating on both sides of the border.
The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, confirmed that Mexico is exchanging information with Guatemalan authorities and that Mexican Army units have been deployed along the border to reinforce surveillance and assist in reconnaissance operations.
The attack, Guatemala’s Defense Ministry stated, reflects the “criminal dynamics” dominating that border region, where different groups compete for drug and arms trafficking routes.
According to Guatemala’s Defense Ministry, the clash left a soldier wounded in the leg after suspected criminals crossed from Mexico and opened fire. The wounded soldier is reportedly in stable condition. Authorities also seized high-caliber weapons, explosives, tactical gear and drones, which were handed over for forensic analysis.
Mexican Defense Secretary General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo announced that a coordinated plan of operations will be launched involving both Mexican and Guatemalan forces along the border to counter these criminal networks.
Harfuch emphasized that the violence is not isolated but symptomatic of the ongoing struggle between criminal organizations for territorial control, and reiterated Mexico’s commitment to bilateral security cooperation and its intention to strengthen institutional presence in vulnerable border zones.
International
Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV as review of U.S. peace plan continues
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Tuesday with Pope Leo XIV in Italy, after pledging to deliver a response to the United States regarding the proposed peace plan aimed at ending the war with Russia.
The meeting with the pontiff took place at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, where Leo XIV “reiterated the need to continue dialogue and renewed his urgent hope that the ongoing diplomatic initiatives may lead to a just and lasting peace,” the Vatican said in a statement.
His visit to Italy follows Monday’s meetings with European leaders in London and Brussels, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to agree to a peace plan that Zelensky said he is still reviewing.
According to Zelensky, the plan presented by Washington—originally consisting of 28 points—was reduced to 20 after discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. representatives over the weekend. “We are going to work on those 20 points. We are not completely satisfied with the proposals from our partners,” Zelensky said during an online press conference on Monday.
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