Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature Check out the view from Tower Bridge in London this morning: A veteran Hong Kong opera star apologized and declared his patriotism on Thursday after his praise of Britain’s late Queen Elizabeth II sparked a backlash among nationalists in China, AFP reports. Some further details from AFP: Thousands of Hong Kong residents have lined up outside the city’s British consulate this week to sign a book of condolence for the late monarch who died after 70 years on the throne. Among the mourners was Cantonese opera heavyweight Law Kar-ying, who posted a selfie on Instagram from the queue and a message that read: “Hong Kong was a blessed land during his reign.” Instagram is banned in mainland China, but Law’s post went viral on other social media sites, sparking outrage and criticism from nationalists. On Thursday, Law took to China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo to post a video apologizing for “making mournful remarks without thinking them through.” “My original intention was to express my condolences for a late elderly woman, and I would like to appeal to everyone not to over-interpret what I said,” the 75-year-old said in Mandarin Chinese. “I cannot forget my origins and origins. Holding a Chinese passport says it all, I am Chinese and love my motherland forever. I’m sorry,” he added. His original Instagram post has been deleted. Hong Kong was a British colony for more than 150 years, and while the financial hub returned to China in 1997, the past is etched into its landscape, from street names and the ubiquity of English to the common law legal system. While other former colonies have seen more muted reactions to Elizabeth II’s death, about 6,700 Hong Kong residents, including some government officials, have so far signed the consulate’s book of condolence. Many mourners expressed nostalgia for the city’s colonial past at a time when China is seeking to purge dissidents after massive pro-democracy protests three years ago. Updated 07.02 BST Thousands continue to queue to pay their last respects to the Queen. The line is 3.9 miles long with a waiting time of at least 11 hours, according to the latest estimates from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. People line up to pay respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state outside Westminster Hall in London, September 15, 2022. Photo: Emilio Morenatti/APBritain mourns Queen Elizabeth People line up to pay their respects after the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, in London, Britain, September 16, 2022. Photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters Death Queen Elizabeth II Members of the public queue on the South Bank in London, next to the London Eye, as they wait to see the Queen Elizabeth II lies in state ahead of her funeral on Monday. Photo: Victoria Jones/PA
The Chinese government delegation was forbidden to attend lying in state
A Chinese government delegation has been banned from attending the Queen’s lie-in-state, according to the BBC. BBC Radio 4’s Today program reported this morning that the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, had refused to allow a Chinese government delegation to attend the outing at Westminster Hall, due to Chinese sanctions against five British MPs and two their bonds. . Updated at 06.16 BST Here are some further details from Patrick Wintour’s report on Mohammed bin Salman’s reported plan to offer his country’s condolences to the royal family. No explanation has been given by British or Saudi sources about Prince Mohammed’s detailed plans for the weekend, but sensitive judgments are still being made about whether his presence at the funeral would represent an unacceptable security threat or distract from the commemoration. queen over his protests. presence can cause. The United Kingdom in 2020 imposed sanctions on six named Saudis for the alleged assassination of Khashoggi. Some of them were senior advisers to the crown prince, including Ahmed al-Asiri, deputy head of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence services. Saud bin Abdullah al-Qahtani, adviser to the crown prince in the royal court. Salah Muhammed al-Tubaigy, medical examiner in the Saudi Ministry of Interior; Mustafa al-Madani, brigadier general and intelligence officer in Saudi Arabia; Naif Hassan al-Arifi, foreign intelligence lieutenant. and Major General Mansour Othman Abahussain. Prince Mohammed has always denied knowledge of the attack. In 2020 a Saudi Arabian court overturned five death sentences for Khashoggi’s murder, in a ruling that sentenced eight defendants to between seven and 20 years in prison. The crown prince last visited the UK in June 2018, when the UK welcomed Saudi Arabia for launching a major domestic reform programme. As part of a deep connection between the royal family and the Gulf monarchies, King Charles III was a frequent visitor to Saudi Arabia. It is the most frequently visited country in the Middle East, having made up to 12 official visits since he was Prince Charles in 1967. Paul Karp Julia Gillard says Australia will eventually become a democracy, but has backed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s view that it is too early to talk. The former Australian prime minister told the ABC, in her first interview since the queen’s death, that Albanese was right to delay considering a democracy for a future government term. Before flying to London on Thursday, Albanese said the Queen’s death had made Australians “more aware of our system of government”, but declined to consider the timing of a referendum beyond the fact that the his government’s first priority is to recognize First Nations people. constitution. Gillard said that at its center the Queen’s death is a human story of loss and grief. “A family has lost a beloved member and because the family is so in the public arena, we are sharing this moment,” he said. Gillard said everyone’s experience of the monarchy was different, but for many Australians the Queen represented continuity “in a chaotic and broken world”. Asked if she still thought the Queen’s death would be the right time to step aside as a British head of state, Gillard said: “Yes, I’ve always thought that when the Queen leaves us, that there will be a period of reflection.” “I’ve always thought that in Australia too it will unleash a new set of reflections on our own constitutional arrangements. “But there is no rush and I certainly subscribe to what the prime minister said. There is time for measured discussion. It’s certainly too early for that now.” Good morning. Mourners spent another night queuing for miles and hours to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who lies in state at London’s Westminster Hall. Today, the King will travel to Wales to attend a service at Llandaff Cathedral, before visiting the Welsh Parliament and meeting members of the Senedd. He will then travel to Cardiff Castle to meet First Minister for Wales Mark Drakeford and the presiding officer, before attending a reception hosted by the Welsh Government. Anti-monarchy protesters are expected to gather outside the castle for a silent demonstration at 1pm. On his return to Buckingham Palace, King Charles will meet with religious leaders in the Bow Room. Later on Friday night, King Charles will lead his siblings as they stand to watch the Queen’s coffin during her official stay in state. Here are some other developments:
Mohammed bin Salman will offer his country’s condolences to the royal family, a source told the Guardian, but there has been no confirmation whether he will attend the queen’s funeral. It will be his first visit to the UK since the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and subsequent British sanctions. A group of parliamentarians and diplomats under sanctions from China expressed serious concerns about the Chinese government’s invitation to the funeral. Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says Australia will eventually become a democracy, but has backed current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s view that it is too early for the debate. Queen Elizabeth II will be buried next to the Duke of Edinburgh in Windsor in a private ceremony attended by her family on Monday after her state funeral at Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. Heathrow Airport announced it would suspend all flights for 15 minutes before the national two-minute silence on Monday and 15 minutes after as a “mark of respect” to the royal family. The House of Commons will sit again from next Thursday and the coming recess will be shortened by almost a week, it has been announced. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute to the queen, reflecting on meeting her for the first time as a child and saying Canadians “feel like they’ve lost a family member.” Vehicles from US President Joe Biden’s motorcade have been spotted in London as the city prepares to welcome hundreds of foreign dignitaries ahead of the Queen’s funeral.
