King Charles III officially announced as Britain’s new monarch

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Updated 10 September 2022
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King Charles III officially announced as Britain’s new monarch

  • King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have congratulated King Charles III on his accession as Britain’s new monarch
  • Prince and Princess of Wales, Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet crowds together

LONDON: King Charles III was officially announced as Britain’s monarch Saturday, in a pomp-filled ceremony steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism — and, for the first time, broadcast live.

Charles automatically became king when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on Thursday, but the accession ceremony is a key constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country.

Scores of senior politicians past and present, including Prime Minister Liz Truss and five of her predecessors, gathered in the ornate state apartments at St. James’s Palace for the meeting of the Accession Council.

They met without Charles, officially confirming his title, King Charles III. The king joined them to make a personal declaration, vowing to follow his mother’s “inspiring example” as he took on the duties of monarch.

“I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me,” he said.

Speaking of his personal grief, he said: “I know how deeply you and the entire nation, and I think I may say the whole world, sympathize with me in this irreparable loss we have all suffered.”

The new king formally approved a series of orders — including one declaring the day of his mother’s funeral a public holiday. The date of the state funeral has not been announced, but it is expected to be around Sept 19.

This is the first time the accession ceremony has been held since 1952, when Queen Elizabeth II took the throne.

Charles was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, and his eldest son Prince William. William is now heir to the throne and known by the title Charles long held, Prince of Wales.

The ceremony ended with a royal official publicly proclaiming King Charles III the monarch from a balcony at the palace — a relic of centuries past, when this would have been the first official confirmation the public had of their new sovereign.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Britain’s new monarch King Charles III on the accession to the throne, the Russian embassy in London said on Twitter.

“Please accept my sincere congratulations on Your Accession to the throne,” the statement from Putin read.

“I wish Your Majesty success, good health and all the best,” it added.

David White, the Garter King of Arms, made the proclamation flanked by trumpeters in gold-trimmed robes before leading cheers — “hip, hip, hooray!” — for the new king.

Gun salutes rang out in Hyde Park, at the Tower of London and at military sites around the UK as he announced the news, and scarlet-robed soldiers in the palace courtyard doffed their bearskin hats in a royal salute.

The proclamation will also be read out in the medieval City of London and at other locations across the UK.

Two days after the 96-year-old queen died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland following an unprecedented 70 years on the throne, people still came in their thousands to pay their respects outside Buckingham Palace in London. The scene was repeated at other royal residences across the UK and at British embassies around the world.

The monarch set the tone for his reign on Friday, vowing in a televised address to carry on the queen’s “lifelong service,” with his own modernizing stamp.

Charles looked to both the past — noting his mother’s unwavering “dedication and devotion as sovereign” — and the future, seeking to strike a reassuring note of constancy while signaling that his will be a 21st-century monarchy.

He reflected on how the country had changed dramatically during the queen’s reign into a society “of many cultures and many faiths,” and pledged to serve people in Britain and the 14 other countries where he is king “whatever may be your background or beliefs.”

He also tried to overcome a reputation for aloofness in his first hours as monarch, spending time shaking hands with some of the thousands who came to leave flowers and pay tribute to the queen at the gates of Buckingham Palace. He was greeted with shouts of “Well done, Charlie!” and “God save the king!” One woman gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Britain is holding a period of mourning for the queen, with days of carefully choreographed ceremonies marking the death of the only monarch most people have ever known.

In the next few days the queen’s body will be brought from Balmoral, first to Edinburgh and then to London, where she will lie in state before a funeral at Westminster Abbey.

In his speech, Charles struck a personal note, speaking of his sorrow at the loss of “my darling Mama.”

“Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years,” he said, ending with a quote from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” — “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.’”


India, New Zealand agree to deepen ties, restart free trade talks

India’s PM Narendra Modi speaks with his counterpart from New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, before their meeting.
Updated 9 sec ago
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India, New Zealand agree to deepen ties, restart free trade talks

  • New Zealand PM is on 5-day visit to India with biggest-ever Kiwi delegation
  • Trade deal talks with New Zealand comes after Trump’s reciprocal tariff decision

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart agreed on Monday to deepen their security and economic ties, as the two countries announced the revival of talks for a free trade agreement.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is on a five-day visit to India with the biggest-ever delegation to accompany a Kiwi premier on a foreign trip, comprising officials, and community and business leaders.

Modi and Luxon met in New Delhi where they signed agreements on enhancing cooperation in defense, education and sports.

“We had detailed discussions on various aspects of our bilateral relations. We have decided to strengthen and institutionalize our defense and security partnership,” Modi said during a joint press briefing.

Their defense ties will include joint exercises and training, with plans for mutual cooperation in the sector’s industry, he added.

On Sunday, the two countries agreed to revive free trade negotiations that have been stalled for over a decade, following talks between New Zealand Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay and his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal.

“It has been decided to start negotiations on a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement between the two countries,” Modi said.

“Mutual cooperation and investment will be encouraged in areas like dairy, food processing, and pharma. We have given priority to mutual cooperation in the areas of renewable energy and critical minerals.”

Bilateral trade between India and New Zealand stood at about $1.7 billion in the 2023-24 financial year.

“It is through trade that we can boost the economies of both our countries, providing more jobs and higher incomes for Kiwis and Indians,” Luxon said in a statement.  

Indians are the biggest source of skilled migrants, the third-largest ethnic group and the second-largest source of international students in New Zealand.

“I think you’re seeing an Indian government that’s been incredibly generous and very, very welcoming to New Zealand, and it speaks to the way that they also want to deepen this relationship,” Luxon said.

“We have brought the biggest delegation that’s ever accompanied a Prime Minister … because we actually want to make this as big as it possibly can be, because the size of the prize is immense.

“And actually, what’s this all about? It’s about actually cashback into Kiwis’ pockets and we do that by growing our economy and expanding our trade opportunities.”

New Zealand is an “important component” of India’s Indo-Pacific policy, said Dr. Udai Bhanu Singh, former senior researcher at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses.

But strengthening ties with the Pacific country is likely part of Delhi’s ongoing efforts to broker trade deals with other nations after US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose reciprocal tariffs on imported goods from countries, including India.

“India is facing tremendous pressure from Trumpian policy of reciprocal tariffs and it would like to keep its options open as far as possible,” Singh told Arab News.

“Even though this coming together may have been precipitated by Trump’s tariff assertion, the fact is that New Zealand and India are finding common grounds to work on.”


Filipino Muslim students host iftars in Manila universities to foster unity, strengthen bonds

Updated 17 March 2025
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Filipino Muslim students host iftars in Manila universities to foster unity, strengthen bonds

  • ‘University Tour Iftar’ started in 2023 to unite young Filipino Muslims during Ramadan
  • Muslims make up around 10 percent of Philippines’ 120 million population

Manila: As they seek to strengthen the bonds within the Philippines’ minority Muslim community, a group of students are bringing iftar to various universities in Manila during Ramadan to promote meaningful connections among young Muslims and their Catholic peers.

In the Catholic-majority Philippines, Muslims make up about 10 percent of its 120 million population, living mostly on the island of Mindanao and in the Sulu archipelago in the country’s south, as well as in Manila.

Throughout Ramadan, which began on March 2 this year, Filipino Muslim students who make up the Students Association for Islamic Affairs, Inc., or SAIA, have been running the “University Tour Iftar” initiative to unite young Muslims in the Philippine capital and build deeper connections with non-Muslim youths.

“This is where Muslim students around Metro Manila gather and break our fast together, as we get to know each other and strengthen our bonds,” SAIA President Alinaid Angcob II told Arab News.

SAIA was established in 2009 by Muslim students and young professionals from universities in Manila with the mission of uniting the youths in their community and inspiring them to excel in their careers.

Since it was first launched during Ramadan in 2023, SAIA’s iftar events have become gatherings of some 30 to 50 people. This year, the iftars have so far been held at various universities in Manila, including the University of Makati, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the Philippine Normal University.

“We always tend to have a friendly atmosphere and unity among us, even with our differences in cultures,” Angcob said.

During the iftar event, before they close the fasting day with hearty meals, Angcob and his team also organize discussions on fasting and the importance of Ramadan. They welcome non-Muslims as a way to raise more awareness about Islam and increase interfaith bonds.

“One of our organization’s biggest missions is to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, sisterhood among Muslim students and professionals here in Metro Manila. So, we thought that one of the ways we could achieve that unity and brotherhood is through a salo-salo (shared meal),” Jaffar Malic, SAIA external vice president, told Arab News.

Dates are always part of the fast-breaking meals, though the group tries to add regional specialties, like Maranao-style rice noodles, so that non-Muslims can learn about the variety of food, customs and traditions in the Filipino Muslim community.

They get support from Muslim-owned businesses in Manila and donations from friends to run the iftar program.

“Many businesses especially here in Metro Manila that are Muslim-owned are very willing to support our cause because they can see that we have this drive to help and unite the Muslim students here in Metro Manila. There are also non-Muslims, like some of them are my friends, who give donations,” Malic said.

“Even though the food is simple, sharing it goes a long way. It creates an opportunity for dialogue and for non-Muslims to experience what it’s like to be part of our community.”

For him, being a part of SAIA and participating in the iftar program gave him “a sense of belonging” as a Muslim in the Philippines.

“It’s like finding a community that understands you for who you are and what you believe in without compromising,” he said. “It’s a really big deal for all of us, especially since we are here in Metro Manila, which is a place that’s dominated by non-Muslims.”

The initiative has also received positive feedback from non-Muslims who participate.

“We can really see that they start to develop curiosity and the desire to know more about Islam especially since most of them have Muslim friends, and they want to know the perspectives and understand the experiences of their Muslim friends,” Malic said. “It’s really more than just a meal.”

Lenon, a student at the Philippine Normal University who went with two other non-Muslims, was among those who attended the iftar to support his Muslim friend.

“We agreed to come, hoping to learn something about our friend’s religion so we can connect with him better,” Lenon said.

The discussions were a source of better understanding of Ramadan for the non-Muslim attendees, like Janelle.

“I learned that fasting is not just about food; it’s also about discipline and the strength of faith,” she said.


Philippine Senate launching probe of Duterte’s ICC arrest

Updated 17 March 2025
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Philippine Senate launching probe of Duterte’s ICC arrest

  • The probe was initiated by Senator Imee Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
  • Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila airport on March 11 and flown to the Netherlands just hours later

MANILA: The Philippine Senate said Monday it will conduct a formal probe of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and swift handover last week to the International Criminal Court, which is to try him for alleged crimes against humanity.
The 79-year-old, the first Asian former head of state charged by the ICC, stands accused of the crime against humanity of murder over his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups have said killed thousands.
The probe was initiated by Senator Imee Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand Marcos but a close friend of Duterte’s eldest daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte.
The two families have had a spectacular falling out since Marcos teamed with Duterte to win an election landslide in 2022. The latter has since been impeached on charges that include an alleged assassination plot against the president.
“As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I am calling for an urgent investigation into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, an issue that has deeply divided the nation,” Imee Marcos said in a statement Monday.
“It is imperative to establish whether due process was followed and to ensure that his legal rights were not just upheld but protected,” she said, adding: “Our sovereignty and legal processes must remain paramount.”
Duterte was arrested at Manila airport on March 11 after a brief trip to Hong Kong and flown to the Netherlands just hours later where he was turned over to the ICC.
The Senate has set a public hearing for Thursday and invited top police and other government officials to give evidence.
Imee Marcos has tracked a course largely independent from her brother on many issues, though she is running for re-election under the administration’s ticket in the May 12 midterm elections.
Hours after Duterte’s arrest, Imee Marcos warned at a news conference that it could “only lead to trouble.”
Separately, a veteran international lawyer with ICC experience has been tapped to join the former president’s defense team.
Nicholas Kaufman, a British-Israeli national, has previously represented clients at The Hague including former Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba and Aisha Qaddafi, daughter of the deceased Libyan dictator.
“The president (has) already appointed Nicholas Kaufman as his lawyer,” Vice President Duterte confirmed at a press briefing outside the Hague, according to a transcript made public Sunday by her office.
“We had a meeting with him yesterday, and then we will have a meeting in person when he arrives this weekend,” she told reporters after her father’s Friday appearance.
In an email to AFP, Kaufman said he was “honored to have been asked to assist former President Duterte in composing his defense team in which my future role is yet to be precisely determined.”
“Indeed, I look forward to denouncing the State-sponsored abduction of the former President to a case in The Hague devoid of jurisdiction.”


Georgia court slaps fresh 4.5-year prison term on jailed ex-leader Saakashvili: lawyer

Updated 17 March 2025
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Georgia court slaps fresh 4.5-year prison term on jailed ex-leader Saakashvili: lawyer

  • Saakashvili and rights groups have denounced his prosecution as politically motivated

Tbilisi: A Georgian court on Monday sentenced ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili to four and a half years behind bars for illegally crossing the border, bringing the pro-Western politician’s total sentence to 12.5 years.
Saakashvili, 57, was sentenced in absentia in 2018 to six years in prison for abuse of office and, last week, he received a nine-year sentence for misspending public funds.
He began serving the term in 2021, when he returned to the country from exile.
On Monday, Saakashvili was sentenced to “four years and six months in prison for illegally crossing Georgia’s border” when he covertly returned from exile in Ukraine, lawyer Dito Sadzaglishvili told AFP.
“Taking into account the combination of sentences, Mikheil Saakashvili’s overall prison term is set at 12 years and six months,” said Judge Mikheil Jinjolia.
Saakashvili and rights groups have denounced his prosecution as politically motivated.
He is being held in a civilian hospital, where he was transferred in 2022 after staging a 50-day hunger strike to protest over his detention.
The European Parliament has called for his immediate release, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded that Saakashvili, a Ukrainian national since 2019, be transferred to Kyiv.
Zelensky — who appointed Saakashvili as his top adviser to oversee reforms — accused Russia of “killing” Saakashvili “at the hands of the Georgian authorities.”
The European Union and the United States have urged Georgia to ensure that Saakashvili is provided medical treatment and that his rights are protected.
Council of Europe rights watchdog has branded him a “political prisoner,” while Amnesty International has called his treatment an “apparent political revenge.”


Mount Fuji hikers to be charged $27 on all trails

Updated 17 March 2025
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Mount Fuji hikers to be charged $27 on all trails

  • A record influx of foreign tourists to Japan has sparked alarm about overcrowding on the nation’s highest mountain
  • Thanks in part to the new restrictions, the number of climbers who tackled Mount Fuji declined to 204,316 last year, from 221,322 in 2023

TOKYO: Hikers attempting any of Mount Fuji’s four main trails will be charged an entry fee of 4,000 yen ($27) from this summer, after local authorities passed a bill on Monday.
A record influx of foreign tourists to Japan has sparked alarm about overcrowding on the nation’s highest mountain, a once-peaceful pilgrimage site.
Last year, Yamanashi region – home to Mount Fuji – introduced a 2,000 yen ($14) entry fee plus an optional donation for the active volcano’s most popular hiking route, the Yoshida Trail.
A cap on daily entries and online reservations were also brought in on that trail by officials concerned about safety and environmental damage on Fuji’s majestic slopes.
The Yoshida Trail fee will be doubled for this year’s July-September climbing season, while neighboring Shizuoka region passed a bill on Monday to also charge 4,000 yen for its three trails, which were previously free.
Thanks in part to the new restrictions, the number of climbers who tackled Mount Fuji declined to 204,316 last year, from 221,322 in 2023, environment ministry data shows.
Although climber numbers continue to be eclipsed by pre-pandemic levels, “200,000 hikers is still huge,” Natsuko Sodeyama, a Shizuoka prefecture official, told AFP.
“There is no other mountain in Japan that attracts that many people in the span of just over two months. So some restrictions are necessary to ensure their safety.”
Mount Fuji is covered in snow for most of the year, but during the summer hiking season many trudge up its steep, rocky slopes through the night to see the sunrise.
The symmetrical mountain has been immortalized in countless artworks, including Hokusai’s “Great Wave.” It last erupted around 300 years ago.