Volcanic Eruption In Philippines Causes Thousands To Flee - NPR

Enlarge this image

People watch as Taal Volcano spews ash and smoke during an eruption in Tagaytay, Cavite Province, south of Manila, on Sunday. Bullit Marquez/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Bullit Marquez/AP

A volcano south of the Philippine capital has sent a massive plume of ash and steam spewing miles into the sky and pushed red-hot lava out of its crater, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people and the closure of Manila's airport.

In a matter of hours on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level for Taal Volcano from level 1 to 4 — level 5 being the highest. It warned that a larger "explosive eruption" could occur within hours or days.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage from the initial eruption, but authorities advised a total evacuation within a 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) radius of the volcano, which is located about 45 miles south of Manila.

Enlarge this image

Lightning flashes as Taal Volcano erupts Sunday in Tagaytay, Cavite Province, outside Manila. Aaron Favila/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Aaron Favila/AP

Dozens of earthquakes preceded Sunday's eruption and authorities warned that a tsunami was possible in the freshwater lake surrounding the volcano. Flashes of lightning lit up the plume, lending the scene an otherworldly appearance.

Enlarge this image

Villagers load into trucks as they evacuate during the Taal Volcano eruption in Batangas Province, Philippines on Sunday. Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, the Philippines' disaster-response agency, said 13,000 villagers were moved away from the area to evacuation centers in Batangas and Cavite Provinces. It said nearly 25,000 people had been displaced by the eruption.

Some residents refused to leave their homes and farms, officials said, while others reportedly could not leave because of a lack of transport or poor visibility due to the thick ash, the AP says.

"Our people are panicking due to the volcano because they want to save their livelihood, their pigs and herds of cows," Mayor Wilson Maralit of Balete town told local DZMM radio, according to the news agency. "We're trying to stop them from returning and warning that the volcano can explode again anytime and hit them."

The Volcanology Institute cautioned that fine ashfall could causing breathing problems, especially among young children and the elderly and advised the public in affected areas to use face masks or wet towels to protect themselves. It also advised motorists that the ash could reduce visibility and make roads slippery.

In Manila, long lines formed at shops selling face masks, with many residents no doubt remembering the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, about 55 miles northwest of the capital, an eruption that killed more than 350 people and blanketed the area for miles around in thick ash.

LOOK: The municipality of Taal under a thick layer of ash. The only signs of life are mostly the ongoing evacuations. | via @reetuquero #TaalVolcano #TaalEruption2020 pic.twitter.com/MKHz3AzwNJ

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) January 13, 2020

"Taal is a very small volcano, but a dangerous volcano," Renato Solidum, the head of the Volcanology Institute, told Reuters.

Ash clouds stretched 62 miles north, forcing authorities to shut down Ninoy Aquino International Airport, causing the cancellation of more than 500 international and domestic flights, according to The Associated Press. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said it would also shut down an airfield at Clark Freeport Zone, home of the former U.S. air base, if ash threatened fights there.

President Rodrigo Duterte's office ordered a halt to government work in Manila and the closure of all schools in the capital. It advised private companies to do the same.

The area immediately around Taal has been designated a "permanent danger zone." It last erupted in 1977 and another eruption in 1911 killed an estimated 1,500 people.

NPR's Julie McCarthy in Santo Tomas, Batangas Province, contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5wci5vcmcvMjAyMC8wMS8xMy83OTU4MTUzNTEvdm9sY2FuaWMtZXJ1cHRpb24taW4tcGhpbGlwcGluZXMtY2F1c2VzLXRob3VzYW5kcy10by1mbGVl0gEA?oc=5

2020-01-13 08:25:00Z
52780550627871

Iranian leaders facing pressure at home and abroad as public anger mounts over downed plane - CNN

Protests that began as vigils to mourn those who died in the crash quickly turned into mass anti-government demonstrations, with calls for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down and for those responsible for downing the plane to be prosecuted.

"Death to the dictator," some chanted in the capital, Tehran, in footage posted on social media. In one video, demonstrators chanted, "Khamenei have shame. Leave the country."

Khamenei has been in office for three decades, and there is no limit to his term.

Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators in Tehran coughing and fleeing from tear gas as authorities apparently detained protesters while others shouted for police to release them

The Ukraine International Airlines jet that was shot down had passengers from around the world on board, but in Iran, many see the incident as a particularly domestic tragedy. Many people are angry that the government killed so many of its own people -- most of those on board were Iranian nationals and people of Iranian heritage.

Some protesters could be heard shouting "we will kill whoever killed our brothers" in video posted to social media that CNN could not independently verify.

Image of a unified country

Protests have spread to other cities, including Shiraz, Esfahan, Hamedan and Orumiyeh, Reuters reported, exposing widespread discontent with the regime.

The angry crowds are a marked difference from the image of a unified country in mourning seen following the death of top commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq last week.

Following his death, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tehran clutching photos of the revered and powerful figure and chanting "death to the USA."

Widespread reverence for Soleimani, who commanded a cult-like status in the country, had seemingly united Iranians of all political stripes in anger at the US.

But at protests over the weekend, posters of Soleimani had reportedly been torn down, according to Agence France-Presse.

Security forces were deployed in key areas of the capital over the weekend, including Azadi Square near Sharif University, Enghelab (Revolution) Square near Tehran University, and Ferdowsi Square.

Fully equipped riot police were on patrol, accompanied by water cannons and black vehicles that are sometimes used as mobile detention centers.

But protesters appeared undeterred in their anger, testing the limits and patience of the Iranian regime which is known for suppressing all dissent, often brutally.

Late last year thousands of Iranians took to the streets in nationwide anti-government protests sparked by a hike in gas prices in November.

The government responded by shutting down the internet and unleashing what Amnesty International described as a "bloody clampdown." The human rights organization estimated that at least 208 protesters had been killed in 21 cities, citing "credible reports." The United Nations said it had video evidence that Iranian security forces were "shooting to kill."

US President Donald Trump has tweeted his support for the demonstrators and warned Iran in a series of tweets over the weekend: "Do not kill your protesters."

"Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching," the President said, later retweeting his post in Farsi.

Pressure from home and abroad

During an open session of Iran's parliament in Tehran Sunday, the chief commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hossein Salami, apologized for unintentionally shooting down the Ukrainian plane and asked for forgiveness.

"We did made a mistake. Some of our compatriots were martyred because of our mistake but it was unintentional," Salami said. "In my all lifetime I haven't been as sorry as much as now. Never."

"I wish I had been on board and burned with them," he continued.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said his country "deeply regrets this disastrous mistake" and his "thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families."

Iran previously denied US claims that the country had struck down the plane before admitting the mistake Saturday.

The apologies did little to quell protests and, while the Iranian leadership faces public opposition at home, international pressure is piling on the regime to investigate the crash and hold those responsible to account.

The downed plane's victims included 57 Canadians, and that country's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a press conference Saturday that, "Canada will not rest until we get the accountability, justice and closure that the families deserve."

Fresh criticism was also leveled at Iran for the temporary arrest Saturday of British Ambassador Rob Macaire.

According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Macaire was arrested while in the middle of a crowd of protesters in front of Tehran's Amir Kabir University. He was accused of instigating and directing radical and destructive demonstrations, and later released. Macaire said on Twitter that he wasn't taking part in any demonstrations -- and was instead paying respect to victims of the downed Ukrainian plane.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called Macaire's arrest a "flagrant violation of international law" -- a sentiment echoed by the German and French foreign ministries.

Following his release, protesters gathered outside the embassy in Tehran on Sunday, with video showing demonstrators carrying images of Soleimani and burning the UK flag.

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Khamenei on Sunday blamed the "corruptive presence of the US and its cohorts" for the "current turbulent situation" and has called for the strengthening of relations between countries in the region.

"The current situation in the region demands -- more than ever before -- the strengthening of relations between countries in the region as well as avoiding the influence of foreigners' inductions," Khamenei said, following a meeting with Qatar's leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Hours before the airline disaster, Iran fired missiles at Iraqi military bases housing US troops in retaliation for the drone strike. Amid rising tensions in the region, eight Katyusha rockets hit Iraq's Balad Air Base, north of Baghdad, on Sunday, wounding four Iraqi air force officers, the Iraqi military said in a statement. No American or coalition forces were at the base when the rockets struck, a US military official told CNN.

CNN's Sheena McKenzie, Madeline Holcombe, Artemis Moshtaghian, Joshua Berlinger and Hande Atay Alam contributed to writing and reporting.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNubi5jb20vMjAyMC8wMS8xMy9taWRkbGVlYXN0L2lyYW4tcHJvdGVzdHMtcHJlc3N1cmUta2hhbWVuZWktaW50bC1obmsvaW5kZXguaHRtbNIBYWh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmNubi5jb20vY25uLzIwMjAvMDEvMTMvbWlkZGxlZWFzdC9pcmFuLXByb3Rlc3RzLXByZXNzdXJlLWtoYW1lbmVpLWludGwtaG5rL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw?oc=5

2020-01-13 09:51:00Z
52780544880119

Taal volcano eruption forces thousands to seek safer ground in the Philippines - The Washington Post

Eloisa Lopez Reuters Residents look at the errupting Taal Volcano in Tagaytay City, Philippines, on Monday.

MANILA — An erupting volcano spewed lava into the air and spread ash across the Philippines on Monday, as desperate residents packed up their belongings and waited for help, while others fled so quickly they left behind their sandals.

In one town, officials had to abandon evacuation centers and rework their plans after its location was deemed too risky.

Thousands have sought safer ground as the Taal volcano erupts for the first time since 1977, blowing clouds of ash as far away as Manila, 60 miles to the north. Officials have warned the volcano, which sits on an island in a lake and is among the Philippines’ most active, could reach a hazardous “Level 5” incident — involving an ongoing magma eruption — within hours or days.

The volcano’s ructions escalated on Sunday, prompting the provincial government in Batangas to declare a state of calamity. There have been no reports of casualties so far.

Manila’s airport resumed partial operations on Monday after being closed for about a day, affecting hundreds of flights.

[Taal volcano spews ash; Philippines evacuating residents, watching for tsunami]

In the lakeside town of Taal, where a mandatory evacuation order is in force, Mayor Pong Mercado said Monday his government had to abandon 11 evacuation centers and move to a larger city as it was too close to the volcano. Under a gray sky and with frequent tremors jolting the ground, many residents gathered their belongings and waited to be rescued.

“The traffic [is at] a turtle’s pace because of the ashfall. It’s thick, almost zero visibility,” said Mercado. “It’s okay for now because it’s daytime — it will be harder to see at night.”

Evacuees without cars were making their way out by foot on muddy roads, their children and pets in tow. Some also ushered out their livestock, while farmers lamented to the local press that the loss of their animals would affect their livelihood.

Eloisa Lopez

Reuters

Residents living near the erupting Taal volcano evacuate in Agoncillo, Batangas City, Philippines, on Monday.

At a school-turned-shelter in the town of Bauan, church volunteer Gia Pauline Fabie, 24, estimated that more than 60 evacuees had arrived, some from Taal. She said that there were a lot of children — one of whom she noticed had lost a flip-flop during the rush of evacuation.

“When they arrived, the first thing they asked for were toiletries because they wanted to take a bath,” said Fabie.

Church workers were scouring the town and collecting people without anywhere else to stay the night.

Taal is among more than 20 active volcanoes in the Philippines, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire. According to the NASA Earth Observatory, Taal consists of multiple stratovolcanoes. Its primary feature is the three-mile-wide Volcano Island, which has 47 craters and is surrounded by water.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said magma eruptions had taken place in the volcano early Monday, characterized by a lava fountain, lightning and thunder. The volcano had produced at least 75 earthquakes.

Ezra Acayan

AFP/Getty Images

Vehicles covered in volcanic ash are seen Monday in Lemery, Batangas province, Philippines. Authorities have warned a hazardous eruption is possible.

Mariel Ann Gabales, 30, managed to leave her lakeside town of Talisay — roughly 15 minutes by boat from the island where the volcano sits — late Sunday local time. She and around 10 others, including her grandparents and cousins, got into a van sent by relatives. Clutching some packed clothes and their three dogs, they arrived in Lipa City past midnight after a three-hour journey.

Electricity was out and it was raining. Gabales said they drove slowly through the dark along slippery roads, but noted the sense of community as people tried to help each other.

“The windshields were covered [with ash] — and a lot of strangers would pour and spray water on them to help,” she said.

But she had heard from friends in the area that many residents had stayed behind, worried about their houses.

“You know how some old [people] can be. Sometimes their houses are more important than their lives,” she said. “I hope they get rescued right away.”

Read more

Taal volcano spews ash; Philippines evacuating residents, watching for tsunami

Volcanoes shaped New Zealand. This week’s eruption will not be the last.

The scene after a volcano erupted at a popular tourist site in New Zealand

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__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_b3V0cHV0VHlwZT1hbXA?oc=5

2020-01-13 08:21:00Z
52780550627871

Iranian leaders facing pressure at home and abroad as public anger mounts over downed plane - CNN

Protests that began as vigils to mourn those who died in the crash quickly turned into mass anti-government demonstrations, with calls for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down and for those responsible for downing the plane to be prosecuted.

"Death to the dictator," some chanted in the capital, Tehran, in footage posted on social media. In one video, demonstrators chanted, "Khamenei have shame. Leave the country."

Khamenei has been in office for three decades, and there is no limit to his term.

Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators in Tehran coughing and fleeing from tear gas as authorities apparently detained protesters while others shouted for police to release them

The Ukraine International Airlines jet that was shot down had passengers from around the world on board, but in Iran, many see the incident as a particularly domestic tragedy. Many people are angry that the government killed so many of its own people -- most of those on board were Iranian nationals and people of Iranian heritage.

Some protesters could be heard shouting "we will kill whoever killed our brothers" in video posted to social media that CNN could not independently verify.

Image of a unified country

Protests have spread to other cities, including Shiraz, Esfahan, Hamedan and Orumiyeh, Reuters reported, exposing widespread discontent with the regime.

The angry crowds are a marked difference from the image of a unified country in mourning seen following the death of top commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq last week.

Following his death, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tehran clutching photos of the revered and powerful figure and chanting "death to the USA."

Widespread reverence for Soleimani, who commanded a cult-like status in the country, had seemingly united Iranians of all political stripes in anger at the US.

But at protests over the weekend, posters of Soleimani had reportedly been torn down, according to Agence France-Presse.

Security forces were deployed in key areas of the capital over the weekend, including Azadi Square near Sharif University, Enghelab (Revolution) Square near Tehran University, and Ferdowsi Square.

Fully equipped riot police were on patrol, accompanied by water cannons and black vehicles that are sometimes used as mobile detention centers.

But protesters appeared undeterred in their anger, testing the limits and patience of the Iranian regime which is known for suppressing all dissent, often brutally.

Late last year thousands of Iranians took to the streets in nationwide anti-government protests sparked by a hike in gas prices in November.

The government responded by shutting down the internet and unleashing what Amnesty International described as a "bloody clampdown." The human rights organization estimated that at least 208 protesters had been killed in 21 cities, citing "credible reports." The United Nations said it had video evidence that Iranian security forces were "shooting to kill."

US President Donald Trump has tweeted his support for the demonstrators and warned Iran in a series of tweets over the weekend: "Do not kill your protesters."

"Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching," the President said, later retweeting his post in Farsi.

Pressure from home and abroad

During an open session of Iran's parliament in Tehran Sunday, the chief commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hossein Salami, apologized for unintentionally shooting down the Ukrainian plane and asked for forgiveness.

"We did made a mistake. Some of our compatriots were martyred because of our mistake but it was unintentional," Salami said. "In my all lifetime I haven't been as sorry as much as now. Never."

"I wish I had been on board and burned with them," he continued.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said his country "deeply regrets this disastrous mistake" and his "thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families."

Iran previously denied US claims that the country had struck down the plane before admitting the mistake Saturday.

The apologies did little to quell protests and, while the Iranian leadership faces public opposition at home, international pressure is piling on the regime to investigate the crash and hold those responsible to account.

The downed plane's victims included 57 Canadians, and that country's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a press conference Saturday that, "Canada will not rest until we get the accountability, justice and closure that the families deserve."

Fresh criticism was also leveled at Iran for the temporary arrest Saturday of British Ambassador Rob Macaire.

According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Macaire was arrested while in the middle of a crowd of protesters in front of Tehran's Amir Kabir University. He was accused of instigating and directing radical and destructive demonstrations, and later released. Macaire said on Twitter that he wasn't taking part in any demonstrations -- and was instead paying respect to victims of the downed Ukrainian plane.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called Macaire's arrest a "flagrant violation of international law" -- a sentiment echoed by the German and French foreign ministries.

Following his release, protesters gathered outside the embassy in Tehran on Sunday, with video showing demonstrators carrying images of Soleimani and burning the UK flag.

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Khamenei on Sunday blamed the "corruptive presence of the US and its cohorts" for the "current turbulent situation" and has called for the strengthening of relations between countries in the region.

"The current situation in the region demands -- more than ever before -- the strengthening of relations between countries in the region as well as avoiding the influence of foreigners' inductions," Khamenei said, following a meeting with Qatar's leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Hours before the airline disaster, Iran fired missiles at Iraqi military bases housing US troops in retaliation for the drone strike. Amid rising tensions in the region, eight Katyusha rockets hit Iraq's Balad Air Base, north of Baghdad, on Sunday, wounding four Iraqi air force officers, the Iraqi military said in a statement. No American or coalition forces were at the base when the rockets struck, a US military official told CNN.

CNN's Sheena McKenzie, Madeline Holcombe, Artemis Moshtaghian, Joshua Berlinger and Hande Atay Alam contributed to writing and reporting.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNubi5jb20vMjAyMC8wMS8xMy9taWRkbGVlYXN0L2lyYW4tcHJvdGVzdHMtcHJlc3N1cmUta2hhbWVuZWktaW50bC1obmsvaW5kZXguaHRtbNIBYWh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmNubi5jb20vY25uLzIwMjAvMDEvMTMvbWlkZGxlZWFzdC9pcmFuLXByb3Rlc3RzLXByZXNzdXJlLWtoYW1lbmVpLWludGwtaG5rL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw?oc=5

2020-01-13 07:30:00Z
52780544880119

Why Kate Middleton Can Never Have a 'Normal' Marriage With Prince William - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry are dominating the headlines at the moment over their resignation. But Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William are bound to be the royals who deal with the spotlight 24/7.

Prince William is duty-bound to be the future king and to forever live in the goldfish bowl of royal life — just like his wife, Kate. The two have been together for well over a decade and have forged a relationship that, to many, seems solid and successful.

However, there’s no doubt that for Prince William and Kate, marriage will always be very different from most other couples. 

When did Kate Middleton and Prince William get married?

Kate Middleton | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate and Prince William first met around 2001, when they were both students at the prestigious St. Andrews University. They became roommates in 2002 and by the year 2003, they started dating.

After several years, the news of their romance became public knowledge and the two were spotted on getaways together all over the world. Kate even started meeting members of the royal family, proving that Prince William was very serious about his girlfriend.

In 2007, Kate and Prince William briefly broke up, due to media pressure. After less than a year, they were back together again, and this time, it was for good.

They got engaged in November 2010, with Prince William presenting her with his late mother’s fabulous sapphire and diamond ring. Their royal wedding in April 2011 was watched by thousands of people all over the world. It seemed as though Kate and Prince William were truly living a fairytale.

Kate Middleton and Prince William are trying to give their children a normal life

In July 2013, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their first child: Prince George. They eventually welcomed two more children: Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

As parents, Prince William and Kate seem to be very hands-on, constantly holding, hugging, and reassuring their three young children. This is a marked break from royal tradition, as many royal parents have been more “hands-off” in their approach to parenthood. 

According to reports, the couple desperately wants their children to have a normal upbringing and to experience all the joys of childhood, without the pressures that come from growing up within the royal family. At home, Kate enjoys doing hands-on things such as baking and crafting with the children. While they do utilize nannies, they still do a lot of parenting duties on a daily basis on their own, just like other couples all over the world. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton will never have a normal marriage

Even if Kate and Prince William are determined to give their children a normal life, the sad reality is that they will likely never experience that sense of normalcy in their own marriage. According to a recent report, the royal couple is “discouraged” from any public displays of affection, such as hand-holding or even a peck on the cheek, due to the rules of royal decorum.

Although there isn’t any specific rule that states how often married couples can engage in PDA, there are some guidelines, and couples are encouraged to match their behavior to the structure of the event that they are attending. “Regular” married couples don’t have to worry about such things and are free to hold hands, hug, or affectionately touch each other whenever they choose.

Prince William and Kate are forever duty-bound to live this type of life, due to the nature of Prince William’s role in the royal family. Still, the report also claims that the two do truly seem to be happy and that they are more or less used to living in the spotlight. They will certainly need all of their strength as well as their reserve as they navigate the future of the monarchy.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMidmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoZWF0c2hlZXQuY29tL2VudGVydGFpbm1lbnQvd2h5LWthdGUtbWlkZGxldG9uLWNhbi1uZXZlci1oYXZlLWEtbm9ybWFsLW1hcnJpYWdlLXdpdGgtcHJpbmNlLXdpbGxpYW0uaHRtbC_SAQA?oc=5

2020-01-13 07:45:01Z
52780542675596

Queen calls summit to discuss Meghan and Harry - The - The Washington Post

Joe Giddens AP Britain's Queen Elizabeth II leaves after attending a morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2020.

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II will convene a portentous family meeting on Monday to thrash out the options ahead for Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex — and possibly shape the face of the royal house for years.

The meeting, already dubbed the “Sandringham Showdown,” will take place at the queen’s royal-owned country estate of Sandringham in the east of England.

An official at Buckingham Palace, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed reports in the British media that the meeting will go ahead. The official said that the top royals will review “a range of possibilities” and “what the Sussexes said earlier in the week” — they said they wanted to live part-time in North America — will be “taken into account.”

After more than a year and a half of marriage, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are taking a “step back” from their roles as senior royals in an effort to get some peace from the relentless British tabloids.

The palace source also said that the 93-year-old queen wished to resolve the situation “at pace” — translation, “days not weeks.” — but added there’s an understanding that any solution will take “time to be implemented.”

[Meghan flies back to Canada; Prince Harry in ‘crisis’ talks with Prince Charles]

The Monday summit is thought to be the first time that the four top royals have gathered since the bombshell news on Wednesday that Harry and Meghan want to step back from royal duties and seek financial independence.

Meghan flew to Canada a few days ago. The British media have speculated she could dial in.

What kind of family holds such a meeting? The House of Windsor does, a dynasty whose monarch serves as the — albeit mostly ceremonial — head of state in Britain, as well as the Commonwealth nations, whose vast inherited wealth and extensive land holdings make them one of the richest families in Britain.

The meeting could be tense.

Damir Sagolj

Reuters

Britain’s Prince Harry gestures next to his wife Meghan as they ride a horse-drawn carriage after their wedding ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, May 19, 2018.

The palace was caught off guard — “shocked” or “hurt” or “dismayed,” according to the newspapers — by the Wednesday announcement, though some have suggested it wasn’t so much the content of the news but the timing of the announcement, via Instagram, that startled the palace.

But talks are going ahead and will likely focus on how the royals plan to live part-time in two countries, what kind of work they will do on behalf of the queen, and also the sort of work they will pursue to become “financially independent.”

It is one thing to take salaries as heads of a popular charity and do good works, and entirely another to serve as possible “international influencers” promoting products and becoming a kind of top-shelf version of the Kardashians.

The issue of security arrangements, responsibilities and costs may also come up. Will their protection be paid for and provided by Britain? Or Canada? Or the Sussexes themselves?

On their new independent website, SussexRoyal.com, the couple say that “the provision of armed security by The Metropolitan Police is mandated by the Home Office, a ministerial department of Her Majesty’s Government, responsible for security and law & order.”

Hello! magazine, which has been watching the drama unfold very closely, noted that a line that initially appeared on the Sussexes’ website when it was launched on Wednesday — “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are classified as internationally protected people which mandates this level of security” — has been deleted.

[Harry and Meghan are quitting the castle, but who’s going to pay for the butler?]

Polls show that the majority of Brits are in favor of Megxit, which is what the separation is being called, but alongside that, there is also a majority who don’t want to taxpayers dollars to be spent.

After announcing plans to “step back” from royal duties Jan. 8, Britons outside of Buckingham Palace gave their takes on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s future plans.

The events over the last few days have amplified speculation that there are deep divisions between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and other members of the royal family.

Rumors of a split have been simmering for some time. Harry seemed to acknowledge that there was tension when he was asked if there was a rift between him and his brother, Prince William, by the ITV broadcaster Tom Bradby. Harry told Bradby that he and William were “on different paths at the moment” but added that he loved him “dearly.”

Writing in the Sunday Times, Bradby, who is thought to be close to both brothers, said that things started to sour around the time of Harry and Meghan’s wedding when “really damaging things were said and done.”

He wrote that “it is pretty clear to me from conversations with both sides that this exit could suit everyone, at least in terms of narrow self-interest. But there is no doubt Harry and Meghan feel they have been driven out.”

He also said that when he ever so gently pressed Meghan in that same ITV program if she “was okay,” she answered, “thanks for asking, as not many people have.” Bradby took that response to refer to the royal family rather than the public or media.

He also suggested that there was much that hasn’t come to light.

“I have some idea of what might be aired in a full, no-holds-barred, sit-down interview and I don’t think it would be pretty,” he wrote.

Read more

Dear Lifetime and Hallmark: Here are 15 plot ideas for your next Prince Harry-Meghan movies

How much did the British tabloids’ brutal coverage of Harry and Meghan impact their decision to ‘step back’?

The dark side of Harry and Meghan’s fairy-tale escape

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiwgFodHRwczovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vd29ybGQvcXVlZW4tY2FsbHMtZm9yLWZhY2UtdG8tZmFjZS1zaG93ZG93bi13aXRoLXByaW5jZXMtaGFycnktd2lsbGlhbS1hbmQtY2hhcmxlcy1tZWdoYW4tY291bGQtcGhvbmUtaW4vMjAyMC8wMS8xMi9lMWQ3YWJmNC0zNTJhLTExZWEtYTFmZi1jNDhjMWQ1OWE0YTFfc3RvcnkuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5

2020-01-12 13:22:00Z
52780542675596

Iran admits to unintentionally shooting down Ukrainian plane: Live updates - CNN

CNN has obtained video through Alireza Azami, an activist in the Netherlands, showing thousands of people gathered in front of the gate of Amir Kabir University in Tehran yesterday.

Azami told CNN the videos were shot by people at the protests who want to remain anonymous for safety reasons. 

In the video below, protesters can be heard chanting “Khamenei have shame. Leave the country."

Some context: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged Iran’s Armed Forces to investigate the “possible shortcomings” that led to the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane on Wednesday.

Watch Azami's video below:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiS2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNubi5jb20vbWlkZGxlZWFzdC9saXZlLW5ld3MvdXMtaXJhbi1uZXdzLTAxLTEyLTIwMjAvaW5kZXguaHRtbNIBT2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmNubi5jb20vY25uL21pZGRsZWVhc3QvbGl2ZS1uZXdzL3VzLWlyYW4tbmV3cy0wMS0xMi0yMDIwL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw?oc=5

2020-01-12 13:09:00Z
52780544880119