Day: October 6, 2022

President Joe Biden told King Charles III on Wednesday that he wishes to maintain a ‘close relationship’ during his first call with the new king after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

 

Biden spoke with Charles to offer his condolences on the passing of the queen and he “recalled fondly the Queen’s kindness and hospitality, including when she hosted him and the First Lady at Windsor Castle last June,” the White House said in a statement.

 

“He also conveyed the great admiration of the American people for the Queen, whose dignity and constancy deepened the enduring friendship and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom,” it said.

 

Biden formally accepted an invitation to attend the funeral for the queen, the White House said Sunday. He will be accompanied by first lady Jill Biden.

 

The funeral for Elizabeth, 96, who died last Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after 70 years on the throne, will be Sept. 19 in London.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

Queen Elizabeth II left Buckingham Palace for the last time on Wednesday as her coffin was taken in a public procession to lie in state at Westminster Palace.

 

King Charles III, his heir Prince William, Prince of Wales, and other members of the Royal Family all walked together behind the coffin, as it was wheeled on a gun carriage.

 

As for the coffin itself, a crown on top of a purple cushion was placed on top, in front of a wreath of flowers.

 

Thousands of mourners lined the streets to pay their respects as the procession made its way in front of them.

 

Other royals present in the procession were the Queen’s other children: Princess Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex; and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, the king’s other son, was also present at the procession.

 

The queen consort, princess of Wales, countess of Wessex, and duchess of Sussex all traveled to Westminster Palace by car, rather than walking in the procession.

 

King Charles III and the senior royals in the procession were in military uniform. Prince Andrew and Prince Harry were not, however, the first having been stripped of his honorary military titles and the latter no longer eligible to wear military uniform as he is no longer a working royal.

 

The procession left Buckingham Palace at 2.22 pm (1322GMT) and arrived at Westminster Hall, inside Westminster Palace, which is also where the Houses of Parliament are located, at 3 pm (1500GMT).

 

As the procession made its way between the two destinations, Big Ben tolled at one-minute intervals.

 

Upon its arrival, the queen’s coffin was placed on a raised platform known as a catafalque.

 

She will lie in state there until the state funeral on Monday. Members of the public will have until then to visit and pay their respects, with huge queues, which are expected to grow even longer, already forming.

 

After the coffin was placed on the platform, the archbishop of Canterbury – the most senior cleric in the Church of England – and the dean of Westminster led a service for the late monarch.

 

British military troops then took their positions around the queen’s coffin to stand vigil.

 

As the king and queen consort left Westminster Palace for Buckingham Palace by car, mourners in the street could be heard shouting: “God Save the King!”

 

Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died last Thursday, age 96.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s foreign minister arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday on an official visit to Israel.

 

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed is leading a high-level delegation during his several days’ visit, which coincides with the 2nd anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel, the state news agency WAM reported.

 

Bin Zayed is expected to hold talks with Israeli officials to discuss a flurry of issues of mutual concern and horizons of cooperation between the two countries.

 

In September 2020, the UAE and Israel signed a US-sponsored deal to normalize their relations. Since then, the two countries have exchanged official visits by senior officials and signed dozens of bilateral agreements in various fields, including investment, banking services, and tourism.

 

Three other Arab states – Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan – joined the UAE in the controversial move that came to be known as the Abraham Accords.

 

*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about expanding a recently-brokered deal that opened Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to grain exports.

 

Putin has threatened to restrict what is known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative after it was signed in July to alleviate a global food crisis. Since the first vessel sailed under the deal on Aug. 1, more than 120 ships have carried over 2.5 million tons of agricultural products through the grain corridor.

 

The Russian president has accused Europe of taking nearly all of the foodstuffs being exported, though the UN has said about 30% has flown to low and lower-middle income countries, including two ships chartered by the World Food Program for the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

 

A third ship chartered by the organization is being loaded to go to Djibouti while a fourth will be arriving to go to Afghanistan.

 

Guterres said that during his call with Putin Wednesday morning, the leaders discussed increasing the deal’s scope, including having it cover Russian fertilizer exports via the same channel.

 

“In 2022, we have no lack of foods, we have a problem of distribution,” he told reporters at the UN’s New York headquarters. “If we don’t normalize the fertilizer markets, we will have a problem in 2023.”

 

Guterres said that there are already reports from West Africa and other parts of the world that this year’s crop cultivation is less than in 2021, saying that is “the reason why I strongly appeal to remove all obstacles to the exports of Russian fertilizers that are not, I repeat that are not, subject to sanctions.”

 

The US and its allies have imposed myriad sanctions on Russia in retaliation for its war against Ukraine, now in its seventh month. But Washington has repeatedly maintained that its economic penalties do not affect exports of Russian fertilizers.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

The EU on Wednesday extended with another six months sanctions of travel ban and asset freeze targeting individuals and entities “responsible” for Russia’s war on Ukraine.

 

“The Council (of the European Union) decided today to prolong the duration of the restrictive measures targeting those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine for a further six months, until 15 March 2023,” the EU institution representing member states said in a statement.

 

With the decision, as many as 1,206 people continue to be banned from traveling to the EU while their European assets remain frozen, as well as the funds of further 108 entities.

 

“The EU resolutely condemns Russia’s indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” the statement said, urging Russia “to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine.”

 

The EU has applied sanctions for undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty since 2014.

 

The blacklist has been significantly extended since Russian began its war on Ukraine on Feb. 24.

 

In addition to the individual measures, the EU imposed seven sets of economic sanctions, including a prohibition of gold, oil, and coal imports, an export ban on luxury goods and high technology, as well as excluding Russian and Belarusian banks from using the international payment system SWIFT.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

Five Somali ministers have accused the central government of failing to release $9.6 million in relief funds received from the UAE to begin humanitarian operations in the country.

 

As famine is expected in parts of Somalia between October and December this year, ministers from the states of South West, Galmudug, Puntland, Jubaland, and Hirshabelle in a joint statement on Wednesday asked President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to release humanitarian funds received from the UAE more than three months ago for drought relief.

 

“With great concern that the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate as famine is projected in parts of Somalia between October and December this year unless urgent humanitarian assistance is provided,” the statement said.

 

They urged the federal government to “immediately” release the humanitarian fund set aside to address the country’s drought crisis.

 

The Horn of Africa country is the most drought-stricken in the region, with over 7.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

 

According to UNICEF, drought-related malnutrition has already claimed the lives of 730 children in stabilization centers.

 

Somalia has already declared a state of emergency due to the three-year drought.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency