PM Deuba saddened over death of Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba expressed his sadness over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch. “The grace, simplicity and respect for other cultures and humanity are the qualities for which the Nepalese people fondly remember the Queen,” PM Deuba said in his tweet, adding, “In her death, Nepal has also lost a great admirer of the country and its people.” “I express deepest condolences to the Royal Family,” he further said. Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96 after reigning for 70 years on Thursday afternoon.
Flag lowered at British Embassy in Kathmandu in honor of Queen Elizabeth II
The British Embassy in Kathmandu lowered the flag as a mark of respect for Britain's late Queen Elizabeth II. “Her integrity, compassion, sense of duty & public service inspired those of us who served in her name. Our deepest condolences to The Royal Family,” British Ambassador to Nepal Nicola Pollitt said in her tweet. Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, died at Balmoral aged 96 on Thursday.
India, China troops disengage at LAC friction point in Ladakh
India and China, on Thursday, announced that their armies have begun to disengage from Patrolling Point-15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area of Eastern Ladakh, marking a step forward to end the standoff ongoing since May 2020, The Hindu reported. The move comes ahead of next week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, which both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are attending. Neither side has so far confirmed if the two leaders would hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit, who haven’t spoken since a November 2019 meeting during the BRICS Summit in Brasilia and the beginning of the standoff in April 2020. “On September 08, 2022, according to the consensus reached in the 16th round of India China Corps Commander Level Meeting, the Indian and Chinese troops in the area of Gogra-Hotsprings (PP-15) have begun to disengage in a coordinated and planned way, which is conducive to the peace and tranquility in the border areas,” the two sides said in a joint statement issued on Thursday. The consensus was reached at the Corps Commander level and the ground commanders on both sides have worked out the modalities which are now being implemented, a defence official said, The disengagement began today morning and is underway, the official said adding further details on the modalities are awaited. The 16th round of talks was held on July 17, 2022, at the Chushul border personnel meeting point on the Indian side. As per the understanding reached earlier on disengagement, a buffer zone is to be created at the friction points once troops are withdrawn by both sides and new patrolling norms are to be worked out after complete disengagement and de-escalation. Since the stand-off began in May 2020, the two sides have so far held 16 rounds of talks with disengagement undertaken from both sides of Pangong Tso in February 2021, and from PP-17 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in August, in addition to Galwan in 2020 after the violent clash. The friction points that remain now are Demchok and Depsang, which China has constantly refused to accept, maintaining that they are not a part of the current stand-off. India will continue to press for complete disengagement and de-escalation from all friction areas and the Corps Commander level talks will continue, officials stated, according to The Hindu. Earlier, both sides had undertaken partial disengagement from PP15 and 17A in July 2020 after disengagement from PP14 in Galwan, but the process was stalled after the aggressive actions on the South Bank of Pangong Tso in August 2020. Shortly after the 15th round of talks in March, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India, while he and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met in July on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali, where they discussed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India has constantly stated that the relationship cannot go back to normal as long as the situation along the standoff continues and has repeatedly called for the restoration of the status quo and restoration along the LAC. Over 50,000 troops and heavy equipment continue to be deployed on both sides close to the LAC. In the last two years, China has also undertaken massive construction of infrastructure, habitat, and support structures to maintain the troops close to the LAC, altering the ground status, The Hindu reported.
Xi Jinping presents order to promote military officer to rank of general
Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), on Thursday presented a certificate of order at a ceremony to promote Wang Qiang, commander of the Northern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army, to the rank of general, Xinhua reported.
The ceremony was held by the CMC in Beijing. General is the highest rank for officers in active service in China.
Xi extended his congratulations to Wang, who saluted Xi and all the attendees of the event.
Xu Qiliang, CMC vice chairman, announced the order of promotion at the ceremony, which was presided over by CMC vice chairman Zhang Youxia, according to Xinhua.
New malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists
A malaria vaccine with "world-changing" potential has been developed by scientists at the University of Oxford, BBC reported.
The team expect it to be rolled out next year after trials showed up to 80% protection against the deadly disease.
Crucially, say the scientists, their vaccine is cheap and they already have a deal to manufacture more than 100 million doses a year.
The charity Malaria No More said recent progress meant children dying from malaria could end "in our lifetimes".
It has taken more than a century to develop effective vaccines as the malaria parasite, which is spread by mosquitoes, is spectacularly complex and elusive. It is a constantly moving target, shifting forms inside the body, which make it hard to immunise against.
Last year, the World Health Organization gave the historic go-ahead for the first vaccine - developed by pharmaceutical giant GSK - to be used in Africa.
Trial results from 409 children in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, have been published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. It shows three initial doses followed by a booster a year later gives up to 80% protection.
"We think these data are the best data yet in the field with any malaria vaccine," said Prof Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the university.
The team will start the process of getting their vaccine approved in the next few weeks, but a final decision will hinge on the results of a larger trial of 4,800 children due before the end of the year, according to BBC.
The world's largest vaccine manufacturer - the Serum Institute of India - is already lined up to make more than 100 million doses a year.
Prof Hill said the vaccine - called R21 - could be made for "a few dollars" and "we really could be looking at a very substantial reduction in that horrendous burden of malaria".
Malaria has been one of the biggest scourges on humanity for millennia and mostly kills babies and infants. The disease still kills more than 400,000 people a year even after dramatic progress with bed nets, insecticides and drugs.
This malaria vaccine is the 14th that Prof Katie Ewer has worked on at Oxford as "this is not like Covid where we have seven vaccines straight away that will work... it's much, much harder".
She told the BBC it was "incredibly gratifying" to get this far and "the potential achievement that this vaccine could have if it's rolled out could be really world-changing".
Queen Elizabeth II: Plans for her lying in state and funeral
The Queen has died, ending the longest reign in British history, BBC reported.
She died peacefully, surrounded by her family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
In the days ahead, here's what we expect for her lying in state and her state funeral, as the nation pays its respects.
The Queen's lying in state
After her coffin returns to London, the Queen will then lie in state in Westminster Hall for about four days before her funeral, allowing members of the public to file past.
The grand hall is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, at the heart of British government.
The last member of the Royal Family to lie in state in the hall was the Queen Mother in 2002, when more than 200,000 people queued to view her coffin.
The Queen's coffin will rest on a raised platform, known as a catafalque, beneath the 11th Century hall's medieval timber roof. Each corner of the platform will be guarded by soldiers from units that serve the Royal Household.
She will be brought to Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace in a slow procession, accompanied by a military parade and members of the Royal Family.
People will also be able to watch the procession as it passes through the streets and big screens broadcasting events are likely to be set up in London's Royal Parks.
Her coffin will be draped in the Royal Standard and once in Westminster Hall it will be topped with the Imperial State Crown, orb and sceptre.
Once the coffin is placed in position in the hall, a short service will be held. Afterwards the public will be allowed to enter.
When is the Queen's funeral?
The Queen's state funeral is expected to take place at Westminster Abbey in less than two weeks, the exact day will be confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
There hasn't been a monarch's funeral service in the Abbey since the 18th Century, although the funeral of the Queen's mother was held there in 2002.
Heads of state from across the world will be flying in to join members of the Royal Family to remember the life and service of the Queen. Senior UK politicians and former prime ministers will also be there.
The day will begin as the Queen's coffin is carried from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy.
The gun carriage was last seen in 1979 for the funeral of Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten, drawn by 142 sailors from the Royal Navy.
Senior members of the Royal Family, including the new King, are likely to follow in procession.
Following the funeral service, the Queen's coffin will be drawn in a walking procession from the abbey to Wellington Arch, at London's Hyde Park Corner before heading to Windsor by hearse.
The Queen's coffin will make its final journey that afternoon to St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The King and senior members of the Royal Family are expected to join the procession in the Quadrangle in Windsor Castle before the coffin enters St George's Chapel for a committal service.
St George's Chapel is the church regularly chosen by the Royal Family for weddings, christenings and funerals. It is where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, got married and where the Queen's late husband Prince Philip's funeral was held.
The Queen's coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault before being interred in the King George VI memorial chapel, located inside St George's Chapel.
King Charles III, the new monarch
At the moment the Queen died, the throne passed immediately and without ceremony to the heir, Charles, the former Prince of Wales, BBC reported.
But there are a number of practical - and traditional - steps which he must go through to be crowned King.
What will he be called?
He will be known as King Charles III.
That was the first decision of the new king's reign. He could have chosen from any of his four names - Charles Philip Arthur George.
He is not the only one who faces a change of title.
Although he is heir to the throne, Prince William will not automatically become Prince of Wales - that will have to be conferred on him by his father. He has inherited his father's title of Duke of Cornwall - William and Kate are now titled Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.
There is also a new title for Charles' wife, Camilla, who becomes the Queen Consort - consort is the term used for the spouse of the monarch.
Formal ceremonies
It is expected that Charles will be officially proclaimed King on Saturday. This will happen at St James's Palace in London, in front of a ceremonial body known as the Accession Council.
This is made up of members of the Privy Council - a group of senior MPs, past and present, and peers - as well as some senior civil servants, Commonwealth high commissioners, and the Lord Mayor of London.
More than 700 people are entitled in theory to attend, but given the short notice, the actual number is likely to be far fewer. At the last Accession Council in 1952, about 200 attended.
At the meeting, the death of Queen Elizabeth will be announced by the Lord President of the Privy Council (currently Penny Mordaunt MP), and a proclamation will be read aloud.
The wording of the proclamation can change, but it has traditionally been a series of prayers and pledges, commending the previous monarch and pledging support for the new one.
This proclamation is then signed by a number of senior figures including the prime minister, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Chancellor.
As with all these ceremonies, there will be attention paid to what might have been altered, added or updated, as a sign of a new era.
The King's first declaration
The King attends a second meeting of the Accession Council, along with the Privy Council. This is not a "swearing in" at the start of a British monarch's reign, in the style of some other heads of state, such as the President of the US. Instead there is a declaration made by the new King and - in line with a tradition dating from the early 18th Century - he will make an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland.
After a fanfare of trumpeters, a public proclamation will be made declaring Charles as the new King. This will be made from a balcony above Friary Court in St James's Palace, by an official known as the Garter King of Arms.
He will call: "God save the King", and for the first time since 1952, the national anthem will be played with the words "God Save the King".
Gun salutes will be fired in Hyde Park, the Tower of London and from naval ships, and the proclamation announcing Charles as the King will be read in in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
The coronation
The symbolic high point of the accession will be the coronation, when Charles is formally crowned. Because of the preparation needed, the coronation is not likely to happen very soon after Charles's accession - Queen Elizabeth succeeded to the throne in February 1952, but was not crowned until June 1953.
For the past 900 years the coronation has been held in Westminster Abbey - William the Conqueror was the first monarch to be crowned there, and Charles will be the 40th.
It is an Anglican religious service, carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury. At the climax of the ceremony, he will place St Edward's Crown on Charles's head - a solid gold crown, dating from 1661.
This is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, and is only worn by the monarch at the moment of coronation itself (not least because it weighs a hefty 2.23kg - almost 5lbs).
Unlike royal weddings, the coronation is a state occasion - the government pays for it, and ultimately decides the guest list.
There will be music, readings and the ritual of anointing the new monarch, using oils of orange, roses, cinnamon, musk and ambergris.
The new King will take the coronation oath in front of the watching world. During this elaborate ceremony he will receive the orb and sceptre as symbols of his new role and the Archbishop of Canterbury will place the solid gold crown on his head.
Head of the Commonwealth
Charles has become head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people. For 14 of these countries, as well as the UK, the King is head of state.
These countries, known as the Commonwealth realms, are: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu.
Queen Elizabeth II has died
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years, BBC reported.
She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where she had spent much of the summer.
The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.
Her son King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a "moment of great sadness" for him and his family and that her loss would be "deeply felt" around the world.
He said: "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother.
"I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."
During the coming period of mourning, he said he and his family would be "comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held".
The King and his wife, Camilla, now Queen Consort, will return to London on Friday, Buckingham Palace said. He is expected to address the nation on Friday.
Senior royals had gathered at Balmoral after the Queen's doctors became concerned about her health earlier in the day.
All the Queen's children travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.
Her grandson and now heir to the throne, Prince William, and his brother, Prince Harry, also gathered there, according to BBC.
Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was appointed by the Queen on Tuesday, said the monarch was the rock on which modern Britain was built, who had "provided us with the stability and strength that we needed".
Speaking about the new King, she said: "We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much, to so many, for so long.
"And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words 'God save the King'."
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby - spiritual leader to the Church of England of which the monarch is supreme governor - expressed his "profound sadness".
He said his "prayers are with the King and the Royal Family".
Queen Elizabeth II's tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and the UK's entry into - and withdrawal from - the European Union.
Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Ms Truss, born 101 years later in 1975.
She held weekly audiences with her prime minister throughout her reign.
At Buckingham Palace in London, crowds awaiting updates on the Queen's condition began crying as they heard of her death.
The union flag on top of the palace was lowered to half-mast at 18:30 BST and an official notice announcing the death was posted outside.
On the Queen's death, Prince William and his wife, Catherine, became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall.
The Queen was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, in Mayfair, London, on 21 April 1926.
Few could have foreseen she would become monarch but in December 1936 her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated from the throne to marry the twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson.
Elizabeth's father became King George VI and, at age 10, Lilibet, as she was known in the family, became heir to the throne, BBC reported.
Within three years, Britain was at war with Nazi Germany. Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, spent much of wartime at Windsor Castle after their parents rejected suggestions they be evacuated to Canada.
After turning 18, Elizabeth spent five months with the Auxiliary Territorial Service and learned basic motor mechanic and driving skills. "I began to understand the esprit de corps that flourishes in the face of adversity," she recalled later.
Through the war, she exchanged letters with her third cousin, Philip, Prince of Greece, who was serving in the Royal Navy. Their romance blossomed and the couple married at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947, with the prince taking the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
She would later describe him as "my strength and stay" through 74 years of marriage, before his death in 2021, aged 99.
Their first son, Charles, was born in 1948, followed by Princess Anne, in 1950, Prince Andrew, in 1960, and Prince Edward, in 1964. Between them, they gave their parents eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya in 1952, representing the ailing King, when Philip broke the news that her father had died. She immediately returned to London as the new Queen.
"It was all a very sudden kind of taking on and making the best job you can," she later recalled.
Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, aged 27, in front of a then-record TV audience estimated at more than 20 million people.
Subsequent decades would see great change, with the end of the British Empire overseas and the Swinging '60s sweeping away social norms at home.
Elizabeth reformed the monarchy for this less deferential age, engaging with the public through walkabouts, royal visits and attendance at public events.
Her commitment to the Commonwealth was a constant - she visited every Commonwealth country at least once.
But there were periods of private and public pain.
In 1992, the Queen's "annus horribilis", fire devastated Windsor Castle - a private residence as well as working palace - and three of her children's marriages broke down.
After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car accident in Paris in 1997, the Queen drew criticism for appearing reluctant to respond publicly, according to BBC.
There were questions about the monarchy's relevance in modern society.
"No institution… should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don't," she acknowledged.
As a 21-year-old princess, Elizabeth had vowed to devote her life to service.
Reflecting on those words decades later, during her Silver Jubilee in 1977, she declared: "Although that vow was made in my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it."
That same commitment to serving was made 45 years later in a thank you letter to the nation on the weekend of her Platinum Jubilee in June.
The milestone was celebrated with a mix of state ceremonies and a colourful festival of all things British, as well as lively street parties.
Although the Queen's health kept her from some events, she said: "My heart has been with you all."
In a moment met with cheers from huge crowds in the Mall, she was joined by three generations of her family on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of a pageant.
King Charles, aged 73, becomes head of state in 14 Commonwealth realms.
He and his wife, Camilla, are at Balmoral alongside his siblings, Princess Anne, and Princes Andrew and Edward.
They are accompanied by Edward's wife, Sophie, as well as Princes William and Harry.
William's wife, Catherine, remained at Windsor with their children - George, Charlotte and Louis - as it has been their first full day at a new school.
The Royal Family has now entered a period of mourning. In the coming days, much of national life will be put on hold.
Official engagements will be cancelled and union flags will be flown at half-mast on royal residences, government buildings, across the Armed Forces and on UK posts overseas.
Members of Parliament will pay tribute to the Queen and take an oath to King Charles.
There will be church bells tolling and gun salutes as local and national organisations and charities organise ways to pay their respects, with commemorative events and books of condolence.
A state funeral for the Queen is expected in the next two weeks.
Foreign leaders have paid tribute to the Queen, with US President Joe Biden recalling how she stood in solidarity with the US in their "darkest days" after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, BBC reported.
To France's president, Emmanuel Macron, she was a "kind-hearted Queen" and "friend of France".
For Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, the Queen was a constant in Canadians' lives and one of his "favourite people in the world".
