International
World leaders pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
LONDON — The death on Thursday of Queen Elizabeth II prompted an outpouring of condolences from leaders around the world.
Presidents, prime ministers and fellow monarchs all paid tribute to the queen, Britain’s longest-serving monarch. At 96, she remained one of the world’s most recognizable people, her image a symbol of the nation both at home and abroad.
Her personality remained an enigma to many of her subjects, but she was famous for her sense of duty and took part in hundreds of public engagements a year.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter that he would never forget the queen’s “warmth and kindness.”
“During one of the meetings she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding,” he said. “I will always cherish that gesture.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, also on Twitter, said that he would “remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who left a lasting impression on her country and her century.”
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres mourned her loss in a statement, saying she was a “reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, including the decolonization of Africa and Asia and the evolution of the Commonwealth.”
The Commonwealth is a group of states that includes the United Kingdom and many of its former territories.
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In a statement addressed to the new king, Charles III, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa “expressed his profound and sincere condolences” for the queen’s death.
“Her Majesty was an extraordinary and world-renowned public figure who lived a remarkable life. Her life and legacy will be fondly remembered by many around the world,” Ramaphosa said.
Dickie Arbiter, a former press secretary for the queen, said her legacy would be one of “stability and continuity” and that thanks to her lengthy stewardship, Britain has a monarchy that is “world-recognized.”
Elizabeth served for 70 years and for most Britons, she was the only monarch they ever knew.
Robert Hardman, author of “Queen of the World,” said she may be remembered in the pantheon of British monarchs as the first to reverse 1,000 years of accepted royal practice that a monarch’s job is to consolidate or conquer or expand territory.
In the queen’s case, she came to the throne “with the specific expectation that she would hand stuff back, withdraw, reduce Britain’s footprint,” Hardman said. “It’s been a lifelong exercise in managed decline.”
She did preside over the dramatic decline of the British Empire and during her reign, several countries removed the queen as head of state. Others, such as Australia and Jamaica, actively debated replacing her as their sovereign.
In Jamaica, a Commonwealth realm, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, said the country was praying for Elizabeth’s family “and the people of the United Kingdom, as they grieve the loss of their beloved Queen and matriarch.”
Earlier this year, when Prince William and his wife, Catherine, visited Jamaica, they were met with protests over the legacy of colonialism and calls for reparations from Britain for its involvement in the slave trade.
Elizabeth was the first British sovereign to visit Australia, another Commonwealth realm where roughly 1 million people greeted her in Sydney during her first royal tour with Prince Philip in 1954.
“She celebrated our good times, she stood with us in the bad,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.
Irish President Michael D. Higgins also paid tribute to “her warm and enduring friendship” in a statement and described her landmark 2011 visit as “pivotal in laying a firm basis for an authentic and ethical understanding between our peoples.”
Hugo Vickers, a royal biographer, said that the queen “bestowed an atmosphere of calm over a very fast-changing world” and was an “extraordinary conciliator.”
International
Man poisons twin daughters, commits suicide after wife abandons him
Man poisons twin daughters, commits suicide after wife abandons him
A heartbreaking incident unfolded in Bhadohi district, Uttar Pradesh, where a distressed man, Omprakash Yadav (27), allegedly took the lives of his 14-month-old twin daughters before ending his own life.
The tragic event occurred on Monday, November 25, 2024, in the Ugapur area.
According to Station House Officer (SHO) Ajit Kumar Srivastava, Yadav is said to have mixed poison in milk and fed it to his daughters, Aashi and Priyashi. After their deaths, he reportedly took his own life, leaving behind a scene of unimaginable grief.
“Yadav had filed a missing person’s report for his wife, Sangam Yadav, on November 21. She had left their home, leaving him alone to care for their daughters. This appears to have caused him severe mental distress,” Srivastava said.
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According to the SHO, Yadav first attempted to hang himself at home but later left the house around 7 am.
He was spotted 500 meters away near the Ganesh Chandra Laudar Inter College but no one suspected anything, Srivastava added
People who entered the college premises later discovered his body hanging from a tree and informed his family, he said.
Upon visiting his home, they found the bodies of the twins, prompting them to alert the police.
“Three bodies have been sent for postmortem and a forensic team has collected a sample of the milk for analysis. Further investigation is underway,” Srivastava added.
Man poisons twin daughters, commits suicide after wife abandons him
International
Illegal migrants: Trump vows to punish Canada on Day 1 of inauguration
Illegal migrants: Trump vows to punish Canada on Day 1 of inauguration
President-elect Donald Trump vowed punishment Monday that on his first day in office, he would impose a 25% tariff on all products coming into the United States from Mexico and Canada.
“As everyone is aware, thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump said that on Jan. 20, in one of his first executive orders, he would sign all the necessary paperwork to levy a 25% tariff on all products arriving from the U.S.’s North American neighbours.
“This Tariff will remain in effect until Drugs, in particular, Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” he wrote. “Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long-simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”
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Trump said in another Truth Social post that he also would levy an additional 10% tariff on top of existing tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States.
“I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail,” he wrote. “Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through.”
Trump said the additional tariff on Chinese goods would remain in place until it stops allowing illegal drugs to pour into the U.S.
Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump threatened to crack down on illegal migrant crossings along the U.S.’s southern border with Mexico and to curb the flow of illegal drugs into the country. He has vowed to declare a national emergency and use military assets to deport a record number of immigrants who are in the United States illegally.
Despite Trump’s claim that drugs and crime are at never-before-seen levels, violent crime in the United States declined for the third straight year in 2023, including instances of murder, rape and assault, according to estimates released by the FBI in September.
Trump’s decision to use tariffs as a weapon to fight illegal immigration and drugs could be a double-edged sword. Economists warn that slapping tariffs on products shipped into the United States could drive up inflation and interest rates and result in higher consumer prices. Tariffs are taxes on merchandise shipped to the U.S. from other countries.
Illegal migrants: Trump vows to punish Canada on Day 1 of inauguration
International
Ahead of Trump inauguration, prosecutor drops criminal charges against president-elect
Ahead of Trump inauguration, prosecutor drops criminal charges against president-elect
The United States President-elect, Donald Trump, will be taking oath of office on January 20 next year without any criminal cases hanging on his neck.
This came as special prosecutor, Jack Smith, who filed two criminal cases against Trump has asked the judge to drop both of them.
A court filing on Monday by the US Department of Justice cited constitutional protections for sitting presidents as a reason for the action.
“It has long been the position of the Department of Justice that the United States Constitution forbids the federal indictment and subsequent criminal prosecution of a sitting president,” the filing read.
It also stated, “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the government stands fully behind.”
The development means that Trump will not be called to answer for any wrongdoing before his inauguration.
“This outcome is not based on the merits or strength of the case against the defendant,” Smith added in the six-page filing.
A judge must sign off on both decisions for them to be officially dismissed. Smith requested both cases be dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning the charges could be refiled after Trump finishes his second term.
The cases against Trump were the 2020 election subversion accusations and the mishandling of classified documents.
The election case was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats against Trump as he battled to reclaim the White House.
However, the businessman tactically sidestepped the indictment without sinking his presidential bid, using political play to beat the legal system.
Trump said he would fire Smith once he returns to the office.
Smith has reportedly said he plans to step down next year.
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