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
Five Bodies Found in Ecuador as Police Probe Suspected Gang Turf War
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating the deaths of five people whose bodies were found inside a rural home, in what police believe may be linked to a territorial dispute between organized criminal groups.
The victims, aged between 21 and 30, were discovered Tuesday in the town of La Troncal, in the Andean province of Cañar. Police reported that two of the bodies were bound with wire, while a burned-out vehicle was found outside the residence.
Investigators said graffiti on the walls of the house included messages such as “Lobos territory” and “Lobos active,” suggesting a possible connection to the criminal organization known as Los Lobos.
Police believe the killings were likely the result of a conflict over territorial control between rival gangs.
The discovery came on the same day authorities arrested a former mayor in the neighboring province of Azuay. Officials identified him as the alleged main financial backer of Los Lobos, one of Ecuador’s most powerful criminal organizations.
Ecuador has experienced an unprecedented surge in violence in recent years, driven by criminal groups involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining, kidnapping, and extortion.
According to Insight Crime, the country recorded 51 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025—equivalent to roughly one killing every hour—making it one of the most violent countries in Latin America.
International
Georgia Teen Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Deadly School Shooting
A Georgia teenager who killed four people in a 2024 school shooting was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to the attack.
Colt Gray, now 16, admitted to opening fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of Atlanta. He was 14 years old at the time of the shooting.
The attack claimed the lives of two students and two teachers, while nine other people were injured. Despite being a minor when the shooting occurred, Gray was prosecuted as an adult.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Nicholas Trimm acknowledged the failures of the teenager’s family but said they did not excuse his actions.
“Your parents failed you. Your family failed you. But that does not absolve you,” the judge said.
Trimm also rejected any suggestion that the shooting was motivated by bullying or personal grievances.
“You were not bullied at Apalachee. This was not driven by hate. You didn’t know anyone at that school. It was simply the desire to commit a notorious act,” he told Gray.
The case also led to the prosecution of the shooter’s father, Colin Gray, who was convicted in March of voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. The case marked one of the first instances in which a parent was held criminally responsible for a mass shooting carried out by their child.
Prosecutors said Colin Gray had given his son an AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas gift in 2023, despite being aware that the teenager had previously threatened to carry out a school shooting.
Authorities said the same rifle was used in the attack less than a year later. Months before the shooting, FBI investigators had alerted local law enforcement after receiving reports of online messages linked to the Gray family’s internet address that referenced plans for a school massacre.
The case reflects growing legal scrutiny in the United States over the responsibility of parents whose children commit acts of gun violence.
In a similar case, the parents of a Michigan teenager who killed four people at his high school in 2021 were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2024 and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 years.
According to U.S. health authorities, firearms have been the leading cause of death among children and teenagers in the United States for several years.
International
Portuguese Authorities Seize 2.6 Tons of Cocaine Worth More Than $550 Million in Drug Bust
Italian financial police reported Monday that Portuguese authorities intercepted a speedboat carrying more than 2.6 tons of cocaine, with an estimated street value exceeding $550 million.
Four people — two Spanish nationals, one Albanian citizen, and a man from Gibraltar — were arrested in connection with the operation, according to Italian authorities.
The vessel was intercepted off the coast of Lisbon by Portugal’s maritime police following an investigation led by Italian authorities.
Italian financial police estimated that the seized shipment had a street value of approximately 500 million euros ($570 million), making it one of the largest drug seizures reported in the region in recent years.
Portuguese authorities said the interception took place on Thursday, about 90 kilometers (50 nautical miles) southwest of Cape Espichel, during an operation targeting international drug trafficking routes.
Prosecutors Accuse Ex-Defense Minister of Undermining Press Freedom in Honduras
Five Bodies Found in Ecuador as Police Probe Suspected Gang Turf War
Georgia Teen Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Deadly School Shooting
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International2 days agoU.S. and Iran Maintain Ceasefire as Trump Expresses Optimism Over New Talks
-
International2 days agoPolice Investigate After Remains of Five Newborns Found in French Apartment
-
International2 days agoPortuguese Authorities Seize 2.6 Tons of Cocaine Worth More Than $550 Million in Drug Bust
-
International14 hours agoFive Bodies Found in Ecuador as Police Probe Suspected Gang Turf War
-
Central America3 days agoEU Urges Nicaragua to Hold Free and Transparent Elections Amid Proposed Electoral Reforms
-
International3 days agoCosta Rica Seeks to Expand Extradition Law to Target Organized Crime
-
International3 days agoChina Accuses U.S. AI Firms of Using Chinese Models to Train Artificial Intelligence
-
Central America14 hours agoProsecutors Accuse Ex-Defense Minister of Undermining Press Freedom in Honduras
-
International3 days agoThree Killed, Four Injured in Shooting Near Seattle’s Space Needle
-
International14 hours agoGeorgia Teen Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Deadly School Shooting