Month: September 2022

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96 at her Balmoral residence in Scotland. She was Britain’s longest-serving monarch and this year celebrated 70 years on the throne. Elizabeth was the only monarch most living Britons have ever known: a symbol of her nation, its empire and its Commonwealth. Early life Her teenage years were overshadowed by World War II, which she and her sister largely spent in the relative safety of Windsor Castle, west of London. She personified British strength and character long before she even knew she would be queen. In 1947, on her 21st …

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Editor’s note: VOA’s Sonya Laurence Green happened to be in London during a historic week: Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned, Liz Truss became the new prime minister, and Queen Elizabeth II died after a 70-year reign. Here is her account. I was sitting in a pub in London, on a weeklong visit to the United Kingdom, when the head barman rang a bell and shouted: “The queen is dead! Long live the king!” Everyone stood up. All eyes turned to live coverage on the large TV screen. The mood was grave and respectful and hushed for several minutes. The whole country …

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With Ukraine dependent on Western military aid following Russia’s invasion and Moscow burning through stocks and under sanctions, both sides fear exhausting their shells, bombs and missiles, experts say.  Moscow’s economic exclusion means it is “having to buy artillery rounds from North Korea,” U.S. National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters recently, pointing to deals for “millions of rounds, rockets and artillery shells.”  Meanwhile, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said this week it “is likely that Russia is struggling to maintain stocks” of drones. Sanctions make it difficult for Moscow to obtain the vital components needed to replace drones destroyed …

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The U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday that it is levying sanctions against four Iranian companies that it says were involved in sending drones to Russia last month for use in Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Tehran-based Safiran Airport Services, Paravar Pars Company, Design and Manufacturing of Aircraft Engines, and Baharestan Kish Company were all hit with the new sanctions. “Russia is making increasingly desperate choices to continue its unprovoked war against Ukraine, particularly in the face of our unprecedented sanctions and export controls,” said Brian Nelson, undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. “The United States is committed to …

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Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died Thursday at age 96. She ascended the throne in 1952 and reigned for more than seven decades. Elizabeth ruled the United Kingdom as it rebuilt from the devastation of World War II, lost an empire, transformed its economy and both entered and left the European Union. World leaders were quick to relay messages after the death of the monarch. New British Prime Minister Liz Truss released a statement that said, “We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral. The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge …

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Prince Charles has been preparing for the crown his entire life. Now, at age 73, that moment has finally arrived. Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. No date has been set for his coronation. After an apprenticeship that began as a child, Charles embodies the modernization of the British monarchy. He was the first heir not educated at home, the first to earn a university degree and the first to grow up in the ever-intensifying glare of the media as deference …

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At the news of Queen Elizbeth’s failing health Thursday, the royal family quickly went to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to be with her in her final hours. Soon after Buckingham Palace released a statement expressing concern from the Queen’s doctors about her health, media reports say Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and several of their children arrived at Balmoral – the Queen’s summer residence, with their children soon to follow.   Royal watchers indicated they knew the situation was dire, as such a gathering of close family members, outside of a holiday or special event, is extremely …

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Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, has died at the age of 96. …

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Ukrainians of different ages, walks of life and income levels have come together to donate money to provide the Ukrainian army with weapons and equipment that even included a satellite. For VOA, Anna Chernikova reports from Kyiv. …

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Buckingham Palace has issued a statement expressing concern for the health of 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth after a medical evaluation Thursday. The statement said doctors for the British monarch have recommended she remain under medical supervision. It said she “remains comfortable” at her Balmoral castle in Scotland, her summer home. The queen cancelled a meeting Wednesday with the Privy Council, a group of her closest, most trusted advisers. The BBC reported Thursday that Prince Charles and other members of the royal family are traveling to Balmoral to be with the Queen. From her Twitter account, Prime Minister Liz Truss said the …

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