September 10, 2022

By Michael Holden and Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) -The state funeral for Queen Elizabeth will be held on Monday, Sept. 19, royal officials said on Saturday, as her son Charles was officially proclaimed Britain’s new king in a colourful ceremony laden with pageantry and dating back centuries.

The death of the 96-year-monarch has provoked tears, sadness and warm tributes, not just from the queen’s own close family and many Britons, but also from around the world – reflecting her presence on the world stage for 70 years.

“We all thought she was invincible,” said her grandson Prince William https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-william-pledges-support-king-charles-every-way-he-can-2022-09-10, now the heir to the throne.

“It’s been surreal,” he said during a walkabout outside Windsor Castle where he and his wife Kate appeared closely in public for the first time in two years with his younger brother Harry and his wife Meghan – a sign Elizabeth’s death might help heal a rift between Charles’ sons.

Elizabeth’s oak coffin, covered with the royal standard of Scotland and with a wreath of flowers on top, has been lying in the ballroom of Balmoral Castle, her summer home in Scotland where she died peacefully on Thursday.

On Sunday, it will be driven by hearse https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/plans-run-up-queen-elizabeths-funeral-2022-09-10 through remote highland villages to Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, during a six-hour journey that will allow people to pay their respects.

The coffin will then be flown to London on Tuesday where it will remain at Buckingham Palace before being taken to Westminster Hall to lie in state until the funeral at Westminster Abbey at 11 a.m (1000 GMT) on Sept. 19.

The death of Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has prompted an outpouring of emotion around the globe. Buildings and landmarks in Europe, America and Africa have been lit up in the red, white and blue of the United Kingdom’s flag.

Charles, 73, immediately succeeded https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/process-by-which-charless-accession-throne-is-formalised-2022-09-08 his mother but an Accession Council met at St James’s – the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom built for Henry VIII in the 1530s – to proclaim him as king on Saturday.

The council – formed of Privy Counsellors whose centuries-old role has been to advise the monarch – included his son and heir William, wife Camilla and Britain’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, who signed the proclamation of his accession.

Six former prime ministers, senior bishops and a swathe of politicians cried out “God Save The King” as the announcement was approved.

“I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of Sovereignty which have now passed to me,” Charles https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/challenges-facing-britains-new-king-charles-2022-09-10 said. “I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set.”

Later, on the Proclamation Gallery, a balcony above Friary Court of St James’s Palace, the Garter King of Arms, David White, accompanied by others in gold and red heraldic outfits read out the Principal Proclamation, as trumpets sounded.

Soldiers in traditional scarlet uniforms shouted “hip, hip, hurrah” as White called for three cheers for the king.

Watching on were a few hundred people allowed into the court, including small children on parents’ shoulders, a woman clutching flowers and elderly people on mobility scooters.

ROYAL POMP

Charles is the 41st monarch in a line that traces its origins to the Norman King William the Conqueror who captured the English throne in 1066. Saturday’s events reflected proclamations announcing new kings and queens that date back hundreds of years.

He became king and head of state not only of the United Kingdom but of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

It was the first proclamation of a monarch to be televised. And for most Britons, it was the first such event in their lifetime as Elizabeth was the only monarch they have ever known. Charles himself was just 3 when she became queen in 1952.

Britain has declared a period of mourning until the state funeral for Elizabeth, which will be a public holiday. Leaders from around the world are expected to attend, including U.S. President Joe Biden, who said he would be there.

Charles’ coronation will take place at a later date – and the timing for that is not yet clear. There was a 16-month gap between Elizabeth becoming queen and her coronation in 1953.

He has already made his eldest son William, 40, the new Prince of Wales, the title traditionally held by the heir to the throne, and William’s wife Kate becomes Princess of Wales, a role last held by the late Princess Diana.

The couple had a highly public falling out with Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, after they decided to exit royal duties and move to California in 2020.

Harry and Meghan coincidentally happened to be in Britain this past week to attend some charity events and had not even been expected to see William – until the death of their grandmother.

However, the foursome stood together and chatted briefly, although they looked rather awkward and did not spend much time together during the 40-minute walkabout in Windsor, which followed an invitation from William to his brother.

It was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family, a royal source said.

‘VERY EMOTIONAL’

Meanwhile at Balmoral, the queen’s three younger children – Anne, Andrew and Edward – and their own families also made a public appearance, visiting a nearby church before they inspected the messages among the flowers and thanked the crowd for their support.

Princess Eugenie, one of Prince Andrew’s daughters, was seen wiping away tears and hugging her father.

“It was a very emotional moment, it was very heartfelt,” said Ian Smith, a local businessman who was at the front of the barriers. “It was really special that they came to acknowledge us and we could show them our support.”

Elizabeth, who was the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, came to the throne following the death of her father King George VI on Feb. 6, 1952, when she was just 25.

Over the decades she witnessed a seismic change in the social, political and economic structure of her nation. She won praise for modernising the monarchy during her long reign, despite intense media scrutiny and the often highly public travails of her family.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal takes part in a news conference after an EU-Ukraine Association Council, in Brussels, Belgium, September 5, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman

KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine is negotiating for a $1.5 billion loan tranche from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to purchase natural gas, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote on Telegram on Saturday in a summary of a call with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Iranian flag is seen at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as Albania cuts ties with Iran and orders diplomats to leave over cyberattack, in Tirana, Albania, September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Florion Goga

By John Irish and Francois Murphy

PARIS/VIENNA (Reuters) -France, Britain and Germany on Saturday said they had “serious doubts” about Iran’s intentions to revive a nuclear deal, comments that were rejected by Tehran and called “very untimely” by Moscow.

Iran earlier this month sent its latest response to the European Union’s proposed text to restore the 2015 agreement under which Tehran had restrained its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from U.S., EU and U.N. economic sanctions.

Diplomats have said Iran’s response to the EU coordinator was a step backwards, with it seeking to link a revival of the deal with the closure of investigations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) into uranium traces at three sites.

The IAEA’s Board of Governors meet on Monday, three months after adopting a resolution urging Iran to give credible answers to the watchdog on the issue. Ahead of that meeting the European parties to the deal vented their frustration.

“This latest demand raises serious doubts as to Iran’s intentions and commitment to a successful outcome on the JCPoA,” the three countries, known as the E3, said in a statement, referring to the deal’s full name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

“Iran’s position contradicts its legally binding obligations and jeopardises prospects of restoring the JCPoA.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said the statement was “unconstructive”, adding “the three European countries are advised to play a more active role in providing solutions to end the few disagreements that remain”, state media reported.

“If such an approach persists, they (E3) should also take responsibility for its consequences,” Kanaani said without elaborating.

The European statement also prompted Russia’s envoy to the talks to respond on Twitter (NYSE:) calling it “very untimely indeed”. He dismissed the perceived blockage as something that “was not a serious obstacle”.

Highlighting how entrenched positions are before next week, France’s negotiator, Philippe Errera, called out his Russian counterpart.

“There is no longer an active negotiation, since Iran’s last response – which you, unlike almost all your followers, have had access to,” he said on Twitter.

Ulyanov responded that at least they agreed that there was no active negotiation.

Then-U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018 and re-imposed U.S. sanctions, prompting Iran to start breaching the deal’s nuclear curbs and reviving U.S., Arab and Israeli fears it may be seeking an atomic bomb. Iran denies having nuclear ambitions.

The IAEA said on Wednesday Iran’s stock of uranium enriched to up to 60%, close to weapons-grade, had grown to enough, if enriched further, for a nuclear bomb and that Tehran had still failed to explain the origin of the uranium particles.

“Given Iran’s failure to conclude the deal on the table, we will consult, alongside international partners, on how best to address Iran’s continued nuclear escalation and lack of cooperation with the IAEA regarding its NPT (non-proliferation treaty) safeguards agreement,” the E3 said.

It is unclear at this stage how the Western powers will respond, although diplomats said a new resolution at the IAEA was unlikely.

Stock Markets 10 hours ago (Sep 10, 2022 03:51PM ET)

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Vietnam’s VinFast, a fledgling electric vehicle (EV) maker, is pictured in a sales location at a shopping mall in Santa Monica, California, U.S., May 23, 2022. REUTERS/David Swanson

HAIPHONG, Vietnam (Reuters) – Vietnamese carmaker VinFast on Saturday began handing its first batch of 100 all-electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to local customers, with U.S. deliveries of the vehicle due to begin as soon as December.

VinFast, which began operations in 2019, is gearing up to expand in the U.S. market, where it hopes to compete with legacy automakers and startups with its two all-electric SUVs, the VF8 and VF9, including battery leasing to reduce the purchase price.

“The first batch of 5,000 VF8 units will be for U.S. and North American markets. Mass production will start from next week,” VinFast’s global chief executive Le Thi Thu Thuy told Reuters on the sidelines of a delivery ceremony at its plant in Vietnam’s northern province of Haiphong.

VinFast, part of Vingroup JSC, will start shipping cars overseas in November and customers will have cars delivered as soon as December, Thuy said.

The company has registered almost 65,000 reservations globally, and it expects to sell 750,000 EVs per year by 2026, starting with the VF8 and VF9 all-electric SUVs.

In March, VinFast said it would build a production plant in North Carolina with an initial projected capacity of 150,000 EVs a year. It tapped banks in July to raise least $4 billion in funding for the project.

Nguyen Khac Chung was among the first local customers to have their cars delivered at Saturday’s event.

“I thought I had to wait until November to get my car delivered but I was surprised that the waiting time was cut short,” said Chung, who ordered his EV in January, just two months after the model was introduced.

“Battery leasing is an advantage for customers,” he added. “Why should we buy battery?”

The VF8 and VF9 vehicles will start at $42,200 and $57,500 respectively for U.S. customers, excluding the cost to lease the electric battery. From September, the company will also offer customers options that include batteries.

By Kate Holton and Michael Holden

WINDSOR (Reuters) -Prince Harry and his wife Meghan joined William and wife Kate on a walkabout among crowds near Windsor Castle on Saturday following the death of their grandmother Queen Elizabeth, raising the prospect of a rapprochement between the brothers.

The two sons of King Charles, once so close after the death of their mother Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997, have fallen out in recent years after Harry and Meghan gave up their royal titles to move to the United States.

The couple had been in Britain on a brief visit when the queen, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, died on Thursday.

Like other senior members of the royal family, Harry rushed to be by the queen’s side as she deteriorated at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, and a spokesperson for the heir to the throne said an invitation for the Windsor walk had been extended by William.

A royal source described it as an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family. They emerged from the same car, all wearing black.

The two couples did not interact much during the 40 minute walkabout near one of the queen’s favourite English homes, as they stopped to read messages left among the flowers, and shake hands and chat with the thousands of people lining the Long Walk.

“I think that really just sort of draws a line under what’s happened historically, and it’s a really strong sense of unity I think for the royal family. It was really lovely to see,” said Raj Kaur, 41, who was in the crowd.

At one point Meghan was hugged by a woman in the crowd while others stretched to shake hands and talk to the four royals in the early evening. William spent some time bending down chatting to children, while Kate and Harry accepted flowers and messages of encouragement from those in the crowd.

Royal observers had been looking for signs of a detente amid the pomp and ceremony of a period of national mourning and Elizabeth’s state funeral.

On Friday Charles used his first address to the nation as king to express his “love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas”.

He also bestowed on William and daughter-in-law Kate the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales, which he and his late wife Diana previously held.

William was heard telling one well-wisher that the days following the queen’s death had been “so surreal”.

“We all thought she was invincible,” he said.

Asked by someone else in the crowd how his children, George, 9, Charlotte, 7, and Louis, 4, who all started at a new school on the day the queen died – were coping, he replied: “The kids are well, thank you. They are good. Not ideal to start new schools with everything happening.”

Under royal rules, the monarch’s grandchildren are automatically eligible to become princes or princesses of the realm, so now that Harry’s father Charles is king, his children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, can receive those titles. Lilibet was named after the queen’s childhood nickname.

It is not clear whether they will take the titles.

“At the moment we’re focused on the next 10 days. As and when we get information, we will update the (royal) website,” a spokesperson for Charles told reporters.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addresses lawmakers during a parliamentary session on a wiretapping case, in Athens, Greece, August 26, 2022. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

By Angeliki Koutantou and Renee Maltezou

ATHENS (Reuters) -Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday the minimum wage would rise again next year and pensions would increase for the first time since the financial crisis erupted more than a decade ago.

The euro zone’s most indebted country received more than 260 billion euros of international loans between 2010 and 2015 in return for tough austerity, which included a series of pension and wage cuts.

After emerging from its third bailout in 2018, Greece exited its creditors’ so-called enhanced surveillance last month, giving it greater freedom in implementing economic policy.

“After many years, pensions will increase for 1.5 million pensioners,” Mitsotakis said during his annual economic policy speech from the northern city of Thessaloniki.

Mitsotakis, a conservative who faces a parliamentary election in 2023, said the rise in pensions will be indexed to GDP growth and inflation.

The minimum wage which, the government raised to 713 euros ($716) a month earlier this year, would go up again in May, he added, without giving a new figure.

His government will also abolish a so-called solidarity levy on private and public sector workers, a legacy of Greece’s multi-year debt crisis, he said.

Mitsotakis also promised further funding to cushion the impact of the energy crisis and soaring inflation on the nation’s households.

Greece has already spent about 8 billion euros ($8 billion) in power bill subsidies and other relief measures since last year.

Mitsotakis said the support will continue, with low-income earners getting a 250-euro handout each in December.

Some 1.3 million households will also be eligible for higher financial aid for heating over the winter, while those who opt for oil or other fuels for heating instead of gas or electricity will see that benefit doubled, he added.

All the measures he announced for this year and next will cost a total of 5.5 billion euros, he said.

Helped by strong growth thanks to better-than-expected tourism revenue this year, the government has decided to use any additional fiscal room to continue funding power bill subsidies.

Mitsotakis said Greek economy is seen growing by more than 5% this year, higher than a previous government forecast for a 3.1% GDP growth.

($1 = 0.9961 euros)