London: Huge crowds converged on central London in bright sunshine on Thursday for the start of four days of public events to mark Queen Elizabeth II's historic Platinum Jubilee, in what could be the last major public event of her long reign. From early morning, a steady stream of people, many clutching Union flags and picnic baskets, headed to The Mall near Buckingham Palace, where the 96-year-old monarch will make two appearances later.But as well as seeing the pomp and pageantry of the Trooping the Colour military parade, many sensed the coming end of an era. Ambulance service worker Gilbert Falconer, 65, travelled from Scotland to witness the event, which is held to mark the queen's official birthday. "We know it's a special occasion because it might be the last day we'll see Her Majesty in a public event," he told AFP. "This is very significant," added another spectator Daniel Marmah. "It's the first time we've had a monarch who's lasted for so many years."AppearancesThe extent of the queen's involvement in the celebrations for her record-breaking 70 years on the throne has been a source of speculation for months. She has had to cut back drastically her public appearances since last year because of difficulties standing and walking -- and a bout of Covid. But royal officials confirmed that she would take the salute of mounted troops from the balcony. The centuries-old ceremony has previously seen the queen take the salute on horseback herself.Her 73-year-old son and heir Prince Charles will step in this year, supported by his sister Princess Anne, 71, and his eldest son, Prince William, 39. Joining senior royals watching the display of military precision will be Charles' younger son, Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan, on a rare visit from California, Buckingham Palace confirmed. But the queen's disgraced second son, Prince Andrew, 62, is not expected to join them. She will return to the balcony later to watch a fly-past of military aircraft, including iconic models from World War II, the palace said. At nightfall, the queen will be at Windsor Castle, west of London, to take part in a ceremony to light more than 3,000 beacons across the country and the Commonwealth of 54 nations that she heads.Thank youElizabeth was a 25-year-old princess when she succeeded her father king George VI in 1952, bringing a rare touch of glamour to a battered nation still enduring food rations after World War II. Seventy years on, she is now the only monarch most Britons have ever known, becoming an enduring figurehead through often troubled times. Britain's first and very likely only Platinum Jubilee will see street parties, pop concerts and parades until Sunday. It has not yet been confirmed if she will attend a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday, while her planned attendance at horseracing showcase The Derby on Saturday is off. She could yet put in a final appearance -- again from the palace balcony -- on Sunday, at the climax of a huge public pageant involving 6,000 performers. The queen on Wednesday thanked everyone involved in organising community events in Britain and around the world. "I know that many happy memories will be created at these festive occasions," she said. "I continue to be inspired by the goodwill shown to me, and hope that the coming days will provide an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved during the last 70, as we look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm."RespiteThe jubilee, held against a backdrop of rising inflation that has left many Britons struggling, is being seen not just as respite for the public after two years hit by Covid but also for the royals. Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, caused shockwaves in early 2020 by moving to North America, from where they have publicly criticised royal life. In April last year, she lost her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, and was forced to sit alone at his funeral due to coronavirus restrictions. Since then, she has struggled with her health, and also the fallout from Andrew's links to the convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew, who in February settled a US civil claim for sexual assault, has effectively been fired from his royal duties. Attention is increasingly turning to the succession, and the monarchy's future at home and in the 14 other Commonwealth countries where the queen is also head of state.—REUTERS

Huge crowds converged on central London in bright sunshine on Thursday for the start of four days of public events to mark Queen Elizabeth II's historic Platinum Jubilee, in what could be the last major public event of her long reign.

Military parade kicks off queen's historic jubilee celebrations

London: More than 40,000 railway workers across Britain are taking a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, bringing another day of widespread delays and cancellations.The action by workers from Network Rail, 14 train companies, and members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), has left only one out of five trains running on average and stopped train service altogether in some parts of the country.The labour action is part of the ongoing dispute between unions and rail companies over pay, job security and working conditions, Xinhua news agency reported.People across the United Kingdom (UK) are struggling against rising living costs and seeing their salaries eaten up by soaring inflation. The latest data showed Britain's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 9.4 per cent in the 12 months to June, hitting a fresh 40-year high."Our members are more determined than ever to secure a decent pay rise, job security and good working conditions," said RMT general secretary Mick Lynch. "Network Rail has not made any improvement on their previous pay offer and the train companies have not offered us anything new."Meanwhile, UK's rail companies are set to cut jobs, pay and pensions as rail passenger numbers have not returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, described the strike as "political campaigning" and "pointless" and said he can "only apologize for the impact this pointless strike will have on passengers."Wednesday's strike came after the biggest rail strike in 30 years which took place on June 21, 23 and 25 and caused traffic chaos across England, Scotland and Wales.Further rail strikes are already planned for the coming weeks.About 6,000 train drivers from the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) union across eight train companies will go on strike on July 30.Another strike by RMT members at Network Rail and 14 train companies is scheduled for Aug. 18 and 20. Underground workers will also take strike action again on August 19.Network Rail urged the passengers to plan ahead and travel by train only if necessary amid further national industrial actions.—IANS

More than 40,000 railway workers across Britain are taking a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, bringing another day of widespread delays and cancellations.

New rail strike disrupts UK train services

London: As Britain swelters through a roasting summer, and braces for a cold financial reckoning in the fall, calls for the Conservative government to act are getting louder.
But the Conservatives are busy choosing a new leader, through a prolonged party election whose priorities often seem remote from the country's growing turmoil.
Britons' energy bills have soared and further hikes are coming as the war in Ukraine squeezes global oil and gas supplies. The Bank of England is predicting a long, deep recession later this year alongside 13% inflation. Meanwhile, temperatures in Britain hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in July for the first time ever, and millions are facing limits on water use as England's green and pleasant land dries to a desiccated brown.
There is little sense of crisis among Conservatives as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak crisscross the country wooing the 180,000 party members who will choose a successor to departing Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Under Britain's parliamentary system, the winner of the Tory leadership race to be announced Sept 5 will also become prime minister, without the need for a national election.
Conservative members are largely middle-aged or older, mostly middle-class or affluent, and their views don't always reflect those of the country as a whole.
I'd like to see some true Conservative policies, said Helen Galley, a lawyer and local Conservative official attending a candidates' meeting in the English seaside town of Eastbourne. Low taxation, smaller state, less regulation, freeing industry and commerce from EU regulations...Some self-reliance and sense of responsibility for yourself.
Those priorities are mirrored in the campaign pitches of Truss and Sunak, who say they will tackle the cost-of-living crisis through long-term measures to boost the economy. Truss says she would cut individual and corporate taxes rather than give people handouts . Sunak says he'll tackle inflation before lowering taxes, and will offer unspecified help to people struggling to pay their bills.
Critics say neither candidate is grasping the scale of the crisis. Millions of households face a financial squeeze in October, when a cap on household energy bills tied to wholesale prices is next raised. Consulting firm Cornwall Insight forecasts the average household will then be paying over 3,500 pounds ( 4,200) a year for gas and electricity, more than double the amount a year earlier with a further hike due in the new year.
Martin Lewis, a consumer champion who runs the popular Money Saving Expert website, has warned that we are facing a potential national financial cataclysm, with millions unable to heat their homes this winter. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who led the UK during the global financial crisis of 2008, called for Johnson, Truss and Sunak to get together and draw up an emergency budget in preparation for a financial time bomb in October.
It's not just that they're asleep at the wheel there's nobody at the wheel at the moment, Brown, a member of the opposition Labour Party, told broadcaster ITV.
Brown's call was echoed by Tony Danker of business group the Confederation of British Industry, who said we simply cannot afford a summer of government inactivity while the leadership contest plays out .
But with Parliament adjourned for its summer recess and Johnson whiling away his last weeks in office, big policies are on hold. The few government announcements in recent weeks have been decidedly modest one was a plan from a Chewing Gum Task Force to get sticky stains off city streets. Johnson's spokesman, Max Blain, said the outgoing leader is barred from making major fiscal interventions during the transition period, and any new cost-of-living remedies must be for the next prime minister to decide.
The Conservative Party -- and therefore the government -- is having a completely different conversation to the public, said Alan Wager, a research associate at the U.K. in a Changing Europe think-tank. And it's quite a serious time to be having this very big disjuncture .
Anti-poverty and environmental protesters have dogged Truss and Sunak at campaign events a reminder of the world outside the Conservative bubble. In Eastbourne, several climate activists who had infiltrated the crowd stood to heckle Truss for failing to tackle the climate crisis. They were removed to chants of Out, out, out from the Conservative audience. The environment has scarcely featured in the contest. Both Truss and Sunak say they will keep the government's target of cutting Britain's carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, while offering policies that would make that harder.
Truss supports fracking and renewed North Sea oil and gas extraction and says she will suspend green levies used to fund renewable energy projects. Sunak wants to ban new onshore wind farms, though he supports offshore wind and more nuclear power to cut Britain's carbon footprint.
Party polls suggest Truss likely has an unassailable lead in the contest. Sunak is regarded with suspicion by some Tories for quitting the scandal-plagued government last month, a move that helped bring Johnson down. The former finance minister has been painted by opponents as a high-taxing, high-spending near-socialist because of the billions he spent to prop up the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.
Truss styles herself as a disruptor who will be bold in slashing taxes and ripping up red tape a message many Tories are keen to hear. Party member Robbie Lammas, part of a Liz for Leader contingent at the Eastbourne event, said he likes Truss's more optimistic view of the economy.
It's good to be bold and good to challenge orthodoxy, he said.
Another audience member, Wilhelmina Fermore, said she was on the fence, but leaning toward supporting Truss because she's more engaging and I think that she relates to people on the street .
Yet what appeals to the Conservative Party does not necessarily appeal to the country. And Chris Curtis, head of political polling at research company Opinium, says the candidates' economic promises will soon collide with stark reality.
Liz Truss can believe all she likes that she's going to be able to solve this thing through tax cuts, but there's a big chunk of the population that's about to get hammered, he said.
Talking about how you are going to help those people is not the kind of thing that will appeal to Conservative Party members...(but) there is going to have to be a new massive intervention to help people this autumn. —AP

As Britain swelters through a roasting summer, and braces for a cold financial reckoning in the fall, calls for the Conservative government to act are getting louder.

In Race To Win, UK Conservatives Accused Of Ignoring Crises

London: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on Monday afternoon began her last journey – a 25 mile stretch westward – from Westminster Abbey in central London to Windsor Castle in the county of Berkshire, where she spent much of her time in recent years.
There she was to be laid to rest at the royal chapel next to her beloved husband Prince Phillip, who predeceased her in 2021. Only members of the British royal family, led by her successor King Charles III, attended the private ceremony.
Earlier, in an hour long church service at the Abbey, which has existed and expanded since 960 AD and is located in central London, Elizabeth, who reigned for 70 years, was given the grandest of final farewells. She had got married at the same Abbey 75 years ago.
President of India Droupadi Murmu was present at the proceedings. Compared to other Commonwealth heads of government or state, she unassumingly arrived early at the venue, wearing a dark blue silk sari and a cardigan. She took her appointed seat in the midst of 2,000 assembled invitees. On Sunday evening, she attended a reception hosted by Charles and Queen Consort Camilla for 500 foreign dignitaries. Charles greeted the President warmly and was seen engaged in a brief conversation with her.
In an Anglican Christian service, with leaders of multiple religions in the audience, Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth - an organisation near and dear to Elizabeth - read the first lesson from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians about the ressurrection of Jesus Christ. She was followed by the British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who read a passage from John, which said: 'Let not your heart be troubled...'
Then spoke the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is the global head of the Church of England. He said: "She (Elizabeth) was present to so many, touching a multitude of lives." Emperor Naruhito of Japan, President Joe Biden of the US and President Emmanuel Macron of France were among a galaxy of foreign dignitaries seated either side of the south and north aisles. "I'll miss her terribly," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canada, Australia and New Zealand, among other territories, were among the "realms" where Elizabeth was head of state and Charles now is. All living former British Prime Ministers and their spouses were noticeable attired in black, like most others.
On what was declared a Bank Holiday, there was no Monday morning traffic in the British capital. Sniffer dogs, though, were busy in the area around the Abbey to prevent any untoward incident. The live television coverage by BBC was projected on big screens at spacious locations around Britain. Tens of thousands camped overnight in such places to ensure they got a ringside view of the state adieu to Elizabeth. 125 cinemas in the country reportedly showed the ceremonies live as well. 200 other nations, including India, watched simulcasts of the coverage via the BBC World News channel or bbc.com. Foreign TV networks like PBS, CNN and Fox of the US and ABC of Australia, with their own anchors and studio commentators, covered the event in parallel.
The scale of global interest was unprecedented. Increasingly, from 8 a.m., accredited reporters hovered around the Abbey. This day was inevitable and had been planned for years by the royal household. Nevertheless, the organisers gave themselves 11 days' time between Elizabeth's death to her funeral to get it right.
At 6.30 a.m., the last of the estimated three quarter of a million mourners filed past the coffin lying in state at Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament opposite the Abbey. Disruptions on trains arriving in London and parts of the city's underground system inconvenienced commuters.
15 minutes before the service commenced, the coffin was ceremonially moved in a gun carriage with soldiers in accompaniment from Westminster Hall to the Abbey. Charles, his brothers Andrew and Edward, sister Anne and sons William and Harry followed the body on foot.
Finally, the coffin, with Elizabeth's crown placed on it - as it has been for days - was carried away from the Abbey on the shoulders of soldiers in bright red tunics into a sunny courtyard, which faces London's Parliament Square, the centrepiece of which is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Back on the gun carriage, Charles and family and soldiers of various armed forces marching around it, Elizabeth embarked on her triumphant last journey via Buckingham Palace, her London home, to the green and pleasant fields of Windsor.&nbsp;
—IANS

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on Monday afternoon began her last journey – a 25 mile stretch westward – from Westminster Abbey in central London to Windsor Castle in the county of Berkshire, where she spent much of her time in recent years.

UK's Queen Elizabeth II Laid To Rest After Grand Farewell

London (The Hawk): On Wednesday, the day after becoming Britain's first prime minister of Indian descent, Rishi Sunak will conduct the first Cabinet meeting with his new team.
On Tuesday, Sunak began filling out his top team with critical Cabinet appointments. He reappointed Indian-origin Suella Braverman as Home Secretary and kept new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in place for economic stability.
James Cleverly, who is not a Sunak loyalist, will continue to serve as Foreign Secretary despite the fact that this decision was made in another effort aimed at maintaining continuity.

 On Wednesday, the day after becoming Britain's first prime minister of Indian descent, Rishi Sunak will conduct the first Cabinet meeting with his new team

UK PM Rishi Sunak will convene first Cabinet meeting with new team

London: For her Coronation on May 6 with King Charles III, Buckingham Palace declared that Camilla, the Queen Consort of Britain, would prefer a crown without the colonial-era Kohinoor diamond, which India claims as theirs.
Since one of the world's largest cut diamonds now adorns the crown of Queen Elizabeth II's mother, Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Camilla's choice of the Queen Mary Crown for the coronation may only have a replica of the original.
On Tuesday, the palace announced that the Queen Mary Crown had been taken from the Tower of London and will be repurposed for the May 6 event, where it would be adorned with jewels honouring Queen Elizabeth II.— Inputs from Agencies

For her Coronation on May 6 with King Charles III, Buckingham Palace declared that Camilla, the Queen Consort of Britain, would prefer a crown without the colonial-era Kohinoor diamond, which India claims as theirs.

Britain's Queen Camilla chooses crown without Kohinoor for Coronation

London: Prioritising trade links with India, the UK opposition Labour Party discussed trade deal negotiations between Britain and India with the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami. The event was organised on July 4th by Stockport MP Navendu Mishra and was a first for the High Commissioner of India in addressing exclusively members of the Labour Party, as well as businesses with mutual interests in Britain and India at the Palace of Westminster, an official release said. Doraiswami was welcomed by Members of the Official Opposition in Britain, the Labour Party, in both the House of Commons and House of Lords to discuss the progress of the trade deal negotiations between Britain and India. Progress has been made on half of the chapters in the India-UK FTA agreement, and efforts are underway to finalize the negotiations as swiftly as possible. At the event, the High Commissioner discussed trade relations in light of the current Free Trade Agreement that is being negotiated, cultural links and the deepening of the two nations' relationship. This comes, following an intervention from the Leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer late last year, said in a statement to the House of Commons that a trade agreement "can bring new opportunities to promote and create new jobs here in Britain". The UK India Business Council and Diageo sponsored the reception and heard from the Right Honourable Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade. India is now the second largest investor in the UK with over 900 Indian companies in the UK, with a combined turnover of Pound 54 billion, demonstrating the strong existing links, the release said. Following the event, the Right Honourable Nick Thomas-Symonds MP said, "At the Labour Convention of Indian Organisations Reception, I set out that the UK-India relationship will be a central pillar of the next Labour Government's foreign policy. Labour is committed to a free trade deal with India and working closely on a range of issues from the world economy to tackling climate change and global security." According to the release, Navendu Mishra, Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom added, "It was a pleasure to host Vikram Doraiswami in the House of Commons for the first briefing of exclusively labour parliamentarians". He further commented, "As the prospect of a Labour government gets ever-closer, it is vital that, as Labour politicians, we reaffirm our commitment to maintaining a positive relationship with India. There are many similarities between our nations and these should be celebrated." UK India Business Council (UKIBC) Managing Director, Kevin McCole, spoke of the positive momentum pushing the bilateral relationship forward and welcomed the commitment and ambition to enhance relations. "With the deep-rooted foundations of our people-to-people connect and strong trade and investment ties already, there is so much that our countries can achieve together. We look forward to working with both Governments and businesses to unlock the huge potential that exists in the UK-India corridor," he said. —ANI

Prioritising trade links with India, the UK opposition Labour Party discussed trade deal negotiations between Britain and India

UK Opposition Labour Party Discusses Trade Deal Negotiations Between Britain, India With Indian High Commissioner

Yemen's Houthis spokesperson said on Friday there was no justification for the US-Britain attack on Yemen and the Iran-backed group will continue targeting ships heading towards Israel, Mohammed Abdulsalam posted on X.
The United States and Britain launched strikes from the air and sea against Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the movement's attacks on ships in the Red Sea in support of Gaza.
—Reuters

Houthi spokesperson condemns US-Britain attack on Yemen, vows to target Israel-bound ships. Tensions rise over Red Sea incidents and Gaza support.

US-Britain attack on Yemen unjustified, will continue targeting Israel-linked ships: Houthi spokesperson

Dubai: Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Friday that strikes against the movement by the United States and Britain would not go without "punishment or retaliation."
The group's military spokesman said the strikes killed five fighters and wounded six others, and that the Houthis would continue to block the passage of ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
—Reuters

Houthis threaten retaliation post US-Britain strikes in Yemen. Follow the unfolding conflict and maritime tensions in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.

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Military parade kicks off queen's historic jubilee celebrations

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Military parade kicks off queen's historic jubilee celebrations

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