Meghan, Harry miles apart as they start new independent life

January 10, 2020

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were taking the first steps into their new independent life thousands of miles apart on Friday, as a friend of the couple pushed back against accusations they blindsided Queen Elizabeth II with the announcement they would be stepping down from royal duties.

As Meghan flew back to Canada, where the couple spent a six-week Christmas break out of the public eye, Harry stayed in England, where the royal family sought to contain the crisis sparked by the couple's decision to effectively quit as senior royals.

The queen moved quickly to take control of the situation, ordering royal courtiers to sort out a future role for the couple within days. British media reported Friday that the monarch, who is at her Sandringham estate in eastern England, held a conference call with her son Prince Charles and grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry.

The royal family is said to be “hurt'' by Harry and Meghan's decision to step down from their royal role, with reports claiming they were not told of the statement beforehand. But the queen, Charles and William have told their teams to work with government and the couple to sort out a solution.

In the meantime, Buckingham Palace confirmed Friday that Meghan had returned to Canada, where the couple and 8-month-old son Archie spent the holiday season at a secluded luxury home on Vancouver Island. The former actress is American but has longstanding ties to Canada, having lived in Toronto while filming the popular TV show “Suits.”

The crisis talks were triggered by the pair's “personal message” Wednesday evening saying they were stepping back from being senior members of Britain's royal family, would work to become financially independent and would “balance” their time between the U.K. and North America.

Harry, 35, is sixth in line to the British throne, behind his father, older brother William and his brother's three children. The former British army officer is one of the royal family's most popular members and has spent his entire life in the public eye.

Before marrying the prince in a wedding watched around the world in 2018, the 38-year-old Meghan had carved out a successful career as an actress and lifestyle “influencer" with a popular blog, the now-defunct The Tig.

A friend of the couple, broadcaster Tom Bradby, said Harry and Meghan were made aware while in Canada over the holidays that the monarchy's future focus would be on those at the top of the line of succession. An image of the queen and the three next in line to the throne — Charles, William and his son George — underscored the message of who the Windsors see as their core members.

“It had been made clear to them in their absence there was going to be a slimmed down monarchy and they weren't really a part of it,” said Bradby, an ITV television anchor who filmed revealing interviews with Harry and Meghan while they were in Africa last year.

Bradby described the royal split as inevitable. He said the wish by the couple, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to leave the grind of front-line royal duty had been known, though the timing of their announcement was not.

"It's certainly not true to say the palace were blindsided by this," Bradby told ITV. The royal rift has exposed more divisions within the British monarchy, which was rocked in November by Prince Andrew's disastrous television interview about his relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew, the queen's second son, has relinquished royal duties and patronages after being accused by a woman who says she was an Epstein trafficking victim who slept with the prince.

Harry and Meghan have faced a barrage of criticism from the British press over their decision. They have long complained of intrusive media coverage and accused some British media commentators of racism towards the biracial Markle. This week they slammed the country's long-standing arrangements for royal media coverage and insisted that from now on they prefer to communicate directly with the public through social media.

Many in Britain, though, expressed sympathy for the royal couple. Labour Party lawmaker Clive Lewis told backers Friday at his campaign launch that he understood their decision. "It is extremely unfortunate and a sign of the media we have that they feel they have to do this,'' he said. “I know it is not the only reason. But if you look at the intrusion on their lives, if you look at the racism that Meghan Markle has experienced in the British media, then I can understand why.''

The couple's statement on Wednesday left many questions unanswered — such as what they plan to do and how they will earn private income without tarnishing the royal image. At the moment, they are largely funded by Harry's father, Prince Charles, through income from his vast Duchy of Cornwall estate.

The couple said they plan to cut ties to the British taxpayer support given each year to the queen for official use, which currently covers 5% of the costs of running their office. But commentators have questioned whether the royal couple have misunderstood their true cost to the country, arguing their statement doesn't appear to cover some of the expenditures embedded in royal life, such as security.

Harry and Meghan have considerable assets of their own. Harry inherited an estimated 7 million pounds ($9.1 million) from his late mother, Princess Diana, as well as money from his great-grandmother. Meghan has money from a successful acting career.

Royal courtiers chart path for Prince Harry's independence

January 10, 2020

LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II has moved quickly to take control of the crisis surrounding the decision by Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, to distance themselves from the royal family, ordering royal courtiers to find a future role for the pair within days.

Officials representing the most senior members of the family — the monarch, her son Prince Charles, grandson Prince William, and Prince Harry and Meghan — were meeting to sort out a workable solution for the couple within the royal family.

In the meantime, Meghan has returned to Canada, where she and Harry spent the Christmas holidays, instead of with other royals at the queen's estate in Sandringham, England. The former actress has longstanding ties to the country, having lived in Toronto while filming the TV show “Suits.”

The talks come after the royal pair released a “personal message” Wednesday evening that said they were stepping back from being senior members of Britain's royal family, aimed to become financially independent and would “balance” their time between the U.K. and North America.

Harry and Meghan faced a barrage of criticism from the British press over their decision. The couple has long complained of intrusive media coverage and accused some British media commentators of racism. They slammed the country's long-standing arrangements for royal media coverage and insisted that from now on they prefer to communicate directly with the public through social media.

The monarch and other members of the family were said to be "hurt" by the announcement because they weren't informed about the communique before it was released. News of the talks followed. The latest developments reveal more divisions within the British monarchy, which was just rocked in November by Prince Andrew's disastrous television interview about his relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew, the queen's second son, has stepped away from royal duties and patronages after being accused by a woman who says she was an Epstein trafficking victim who slept with the prince.

Harry, 35, is Elizabeth's grandson and sixth in line to the British throne, behind his father, brother and his brother's three children. The former British Army officer is one of the royal family's most popular members and has spent his entire life in the public eye.

Before marrying the prince in a wedding watched around the world in 2018, the 38-year-old Meghan was a star of the TV legal drama “Suits.” The couple's son Archie was born in May 2019. The couple's statement on Wednesday left many questions unanswered — such as what they plan to do and how they will earn private income without tarnishing the royal image. At the moment, they are largely funded by Harry's father, Prince Charles, through income from his vast Duchy of Cornwall estate.

They said they plan to cut ties to the taxpayer support given each year to the queen for official use, which currently covers 5% of the costs of running their office. Harry and Meghan also have considerable assets of their own. Harry inherited an estimated 7 million pounds ($9.1 million) from his late mother, Princess Diana, as well as money from his great-grandmother. Meghan has money from a successful acting career.

Prince Harry and Meghan to 'step back' as senior UK royals

January 09, 2020

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, say they plan “to step back” as senior members of Britain's royal family, a stunning announcement that underscores the couple's wish to forge a new path for royals in the modern world.

A statement issued Wednesday evening by Buckingham Palace, described as “a personal message from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” said Harry and Meghan intend to become financially independent” and to “balance” their time between the U.K. and North America.

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," the statement said. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support her majesty the queen."

The 35-year-old Harry, the youngest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, is Queen Elizabeth II's grandson and sixth in line to the British throne. With his ginger hair and beard, he has become one of the royal family's most popular members.

Before marrying the prince in a royal wedding watched around the world in 2018, the 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex was an American actress known as Meghan Markle and a star of the TV show “Suits.” The couple's first child, Archie, was born in May 2019.

In their statement, the couple did not reveal where in North America they plan to make a second home, but they cited their baby as a reason why they decided to live part of their time outside Britain.

“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity," it read.

Hours later, Buckingham Palace issued a second statement, hinting that the first had caught some in the royal household by surprise. The statement said discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were “at an early stage.''

“We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through,'' it read. Harry and his family skipped the queen's traditional Christmas gathering at her Sandringham country estate last month to visit Canada and to see Markle's mother, who lives in California. Meghan grew up in Los Angeles and lived in Toronto while filming “Suits.”

The message about the couple's plans also appeared on their official Instagram feed, along with a link to a website, sussexroyal.com, where followers could find more information. The website elaborated on why they are seeking financial independence from the monarchy's funding mechanism, known as the “Sovereign Grant." A page on the site states the grant they are forsaking covers just 5% of the costs for the duke and duchess and is used for their official office expenses.

Meghan and Harry “value the ability to earn a professional income, which in the current structure they are prohibited from doing," the website states. "Their Royal Highnesses feel this new approach will enable them to continue to carry out their duties for Her Majesty the Queen, while having the future financial autonomy to work externally.

As an actress and a human rights activist, the duchess was accustomed to media attention before her marriage, but she has made no secret that the transition to being a global celebrity and part of Britain's royal family was difficult.

The royal couple particularly took issue with their treatment at the hands of the British tabloids, whose aggressive coverage of all things royal is legendary. In October, Meghan sued a newspaper for copyright infringement for publishing a letter she wrote to her estranged father. Later that month, Harry brought his own claim against two of the most popular tabloids over alleged hacking of phone voicemail messages.

The prince also lashed out at the British media for its treatment of Meghan, accusing the press of hounding his wife the same way it did his mother. Princess Diana died in a 1997 car crash while trying to elude paparazzi in Paris.

"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces," Harry said.

The royal couple revealed their struggles with the media during an ITV documentary “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey,” which followed them on their autumn tour of Southern Africa. Both said they had struggled with the spotlight and that much of what was printed about them is untrue.

The duchess told ITV that her British friends warned her not to marry the prince because of the intense media scrutiny that would follow in his country. But the U.S. television star said she “naively” dismissed the warnings, because as an American she didn’t understand how the British press worked.

“I never thought this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair. And that is the part that is hard to reconcile,” Meghan said. “But (I) just take each day as it comes.” The duchess said the pressure was aggravated by the fact that she went quickly from being a newlywed to being pregnant and then a new mother.

The British media have also made much of an alleged rift between Harry and his older brother, Prince William, who is second in line to the throne. Harry and Meghan last year opted out of living at Kensington Palace in London, where William and his family lives, and moved to a Frogmore Cottage at Windsor.

In the ITV interview, Harry acknowledged there have been some differences between him and the 37-year-old William, although he said most of what has been printed about a rift between the two brothers has been “created out of nothing.”

“Part of this role and part of this job and this family being under the pressure that it’s under, inevitably stuff happens,” he said. “But, look, we’re brothers. We’ll always be brothers. We’re certainly on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him, as I know he’ll always be there for me.”

UK's Prince Harry, Meghan, son Archie in Canada for holiday

December 21, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry's office has confirmed that he and his family will be spending “private time” in Canada over the Christmas holidays. Harry, his wife Meghan and their 7-month-old son Archie will miss Queen Elizabeth II's traditional Christmas gathering at her Sandringham estate.

Palace officials Friday night confirmed Harry's family is in Canada but did not provide details. Meghan lived in Canada for many years before she married Harry while she was filming the TV series “Suits."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed the family with a tweet. “Prince Harry, Meghan, and Archie, we’re all wishing you a quiet and blessed stay in Canada,” he said. “You’re among friends, and always welcome here.”

The couple is taking a break from royal duties. Harry has said that he and his brother Prince William are going in different directions at the moment. He has also complained about intrusive press coverage of his young family.

UK's Prince William, Kate arrive in Pakistan for 5-day visit

October 14, 2019

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate arrived in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad on Monday on a five-day visit, which authorities say will help further improve relations between the two countries.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were accorded a red-carpet reception on their arrival at the airport, then were escorted to a hotel amid tight security. The British royal family said the visit encompasses "the modern leafy capital Islamabad, the vibrant city of Lahore, the mountainous countryside in the North, and the rugged border regions to the West."

It's "the most complex tour undertaken by The Duke and Duchess to date, given the logistical and security considerations," according to a statement released ahead of the visit. It said while the Duke and Duchess's program will pay respect to the historical relationship between Britain and Pakistan, "it will largely focus on showcasing Pakistan as it is today - a dynamic, aspirational and forward-looking nation."

Britain ended its colonial rule over the Indian subcontinent in 1947 and divided it into two nations, India and Pakistan. This sparked massive rioting that killed up to 1 million people and displaced another 15 million.

The statement said the royal couple's program will also look at how Pakistan is addressing problems related to the climate change crisis. Shortly before receiving the royal couple, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said people in his country still adore Prince William's mother, Princess Diana. She visited Pakistan in the 1990s to participate in a fund-raising event for a cancer hospital built by Imran Khan, now Pakistan's prime minister.

Khan is set to meet with the royal couple during the visit, which ends on Oct. 18.

Amid turmoil, Prince Andrew to step back from royal duties

November 21, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Following days of turmoil that have damaged the British royal family’s reputation, Prince Andrew announced Wednesday that he will step back from public duties “for the foreseeable future” because of his association with a notorious American sex offender.

The second son of Queen Elizabeth II said in a statement that his ties to Jeffrey Epstein had become a “major disruption” to the royal family’s charitable work. It was unclear whether the change was a temporary or permanent shift in his role.

Andrew said he had obtained the queen's permission to step away. He also said he was willing to help any law enforcement agency with an investigation. The scandal has rocked the royal family, particularly since a television interview on Saturday failed to ease the many questions about Andrew’s links to Epstein.

For a senior royal to step away from his duties is extremely unusual and reflects the degree to which charities and educational institutions had questioned their associations with him in recent days. Andrew said his history with Epstein had disrupted his family’s work and “the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.”

The prince said he regretted his ties to the billionaire investor, who took his own life in August while in jail on sex-trafficking charges. Andrew said he “deeply sympathizes” with Epstein’s victims, many of whom were underage victims of trafficking.

In the interview, the prince seemed to show no remorse for his relationship with Epstein. Wednesday’s statement made clear that Andrew and his advisers now understand how damaging the interview was. Epstein’s suicide “has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure,” Andrew said. “I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives.”

Like most senior members of the royal family, Andrew was a patron for charities and other civic endeavors, lending his name and the backing of the monarchy to the good works of all manner of institutions.

But after the interview, some charities and universities said they were reviewing their association with the prince. And major businesses, including Barclays and BT, distanced themselves from Andrew in charities they were involved with.

Andrew has faced questions over his links to Epstein for years, and he hoped the interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis would ease the pressure. The move backfired. The interview centered on whether he had had sex with Virginia Giuffre, who says she was trafficked by Epstein. Though Andrew denied the claims, his answers drew scorn. Giuffre said she had sex with Andrew on three occasions, including twice when she was 17.

Critics said Andrew came across as insensitive and arrogant — particularly in an era in which social media has made even the rich and the powerful seem more accessible. The prince defended his previous friendship with Epstein because of the contacts it provided when he was preparing for his role as Britain's special trade representative.

The announcement that he was leaving his public role, at least for a time, recalled memories of the historic decision by King Edward VIII to abdicate in 1936 so that he could marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee. The queen’s father George VI succeeded Edward.

Historian Judith Rowbotham of the University of Plymouth said there were “plenty” of parallels between the king’s abdication and Andrew’s decision to halt his royal role. She said she was not surprised by Andrew’s announcement and that the crisis could have “escalated” if he had not stepped down.

“I think it will be a great sadness for the queen,” she said of Elizabeth, the 93-year-old monarch. The queen did not comment on her son’s decision during an appearance Wednesday night. She has never spoken out on the matter.

Prince Harry lashes out at UK press for treatment of Meghan

October 02, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry has lashed out at the British media for its treatment of his wife, Meghan, accusing it of hounding her the way it did his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash while trying to elude paparazzi.

"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces," Harry said.

His rebuke of the press, and a lawsuit filed by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, against the Mail on Sunday newspaper for publishing in February a letter she had written to her estranged father is overshadowing the final day of his family's tour to southern Africa.

Harry and Meghan — with infant son Archie in tow — are scheduled to fly home Wednesday evening from South Africa following their day 10-day trip. The ginger-haired, bearded prince — often seeming so light of mood in public — said he could no longer be a "silent witness to her private suffering."

Releasing what appears to be years of pent-up anger at the press, he said some newspapers have repeatedly "vilified" Meghan and published "lie after lie" about her. Harry and his older brother Prince William have long had a strained relationship with the press. They grew up in the spotlight and were young boys when their parents' acrimonious divorce received wall-to-wall coverage.

In the civil lawsuit, Meghan's lawyers accused the newspaper of copyright infringement, misuse of public information and violation of data protection laws. The Mail on Sunday said it stands by its story and will fight the case in court.

Harry and Meghan enjoyed almost worshipful attention from the press when they married in May, 2018, but the tone has changed in recent months. The couple has been criticized for using taxpayer money to renovate their home and for traveling on a private jet while calling for more action on climate change.

They did receive generally positive coverage on their trip to southern Africa, which also served as a debut in global diplomacy for four-month-old Archie. Archie's sole public showing was also a rare public appearance by ailing Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who greeted the baby with a gleeful smile and a gentle kiss on the forehead.

Harry and Meghan paid tribute to Diana's legacy throughout the trip, and he visited the former minefield in Angola where she had walked 22 years ago. Clad in body armor, he also visited a partially-cleared minefield, as Diana had done, and set off a controlled explosion.

The royal couple was greeted in southern Africa with interest but nothing like the minute-by-minute coverage that meets them in some other parts of the Commonwealth. Meghan was praised for her warmth, her quiet visit to a makeshift shrine to a university student whose rape and murder set off national protests over South Africa's high rate of sexual violence, and her heartfelt statement during her first public event that "I am here with you as a mother, as a wife, as a woman, as a woman of color and as your sister."

It was unusual for Meghan, whose mother is black and father white, to talk in public of her racial heritage. She spoke on many occasions during the tour about the need for the empowerment of women. The couple also drew kudos for jettisoning starchy protocol and hugging people with enthusiasm.

Local coverage was not all welcoming, however. The well-regarded Mail & Guardian weekly in Johannesburg called the couple's visit "a right royal pain." In an editorial, the paper criticized the "breathless coverage" that had surrounded the royals' visit as a leftover from colonial days.

"South Africa has plenty of kings and queens of its own, with their kids, without having to import others," the Johannesburg newspaper said. "Why exactly do we care so much about these people?" With the Africa trip concluded, the couple plans to return home to deal with possible fallout from Meghan's lawsuit and Harry's broader attack on the press.

The Mail on Sunday said it will defend itself "vigorously" against the suit and said it had done nothing wrong. "Specifically, we categorically deny that the duchess's letter was edited in any way that changed its meaning," the tabloid said in a statement that refuted one of Harry's claims.

Harry had last criticized the press directly in 2016, before he and Meghan became engaged. He said at the time that the press was hounding her viciously and that there was a racist tinge so some of the coverage. The prince said he feared for her safety.

Associated Press writer Cara Anna in Johannesburg contributed.

First day of school for 4-year-old UK Princess Charlotte

September 05, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Britain's Princess Charlotte had plenty of support on her first day of school — she was accompanied by older brother Prince George and her parents, Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.

William said Friday their 4-year-old daughter was "very excited" on her first day at Thomas's Battersea in London. Charlotte seemed a bit hesitant as she entered the schoolyard for the first time holding the hand of her mother.

Six-year-old George has already been at the school for two years. William told one of the head teachers: "First day. She's very excited."

With a wide smile for mom, Britain's Prince George turns 6

July 22, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Kensington Palace has released three new photographs of Prince George for the young royal's 6th birthday. The heir to the British throne turned 6 on Monday. It's become a palace tradition for snapshots taken by Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, to be shared with the public for the birthdays of her and Prince William's three children.

In two of George's latest photos, he is seen wearing a big smile and an English soccer jersey. The third shows him on a family holiday. George, the oldest of Kate and William's children, is a great-grandson of Queen Elizabeth II. He is third in line for the throne behind his grandfather, Prince Charles, and his father.

UK monarch marks official birthday with pomp and parade

June 08, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II is marking her official birthday with the annual Trooping the Color parade, a traditional display of British pageantry. About 1,400 soldiers in ceremonial scarlet coats and bearskin hats march past the queen in a ceremony on Horse Guards Parade in Westminster.

Royals taking part included Prince Charles, Prince William and his wife Kate, and Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. Thousands of spectators have lined the parade ground and gathered in nearby St. James's park to watch the spectacle.

The ceremony originated from traditional preparations for battle. The colors — or flags — were "trooped," or carried down the lines of soldiers, so they could be seen and recognized in battle. The regimental flag being paraded this year is from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

Queen Elizabeth II attends yet another wedding at Windsor

May 18, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II and other royal family members have gathered at St George's chapel in Windsor for the wedding of the daughter of the monarch's first cousin. Lady Gabriella Windsor's marriage to Thomas Kingston Saturday marked the third royal wedding at the 15th-century venue in less than a year after the nuptials of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex last May and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in October.

Prince Harry left Meghan at home with newborn son Archie and arrived with his uncle and aunt, Prince Edward and Princess Anne. The bride's gown was designed by Luisa Beccaria, while the monarch wore a pink A-line coat, and a lilac and pink silk dress by Stewart Parvin.

The bride is the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

Hello, Archie! Meghan and Harry name son Archie Harrison

May 08, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Tired but beaming, new parents Meghan and Prince Harry presented their 2-day-old son to the world as he slumbered Wednesday and also revealed his name: Archie. The royal couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since their marriage not quite a year ago, said the full name of the child born seventh in line to the British throne is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

The baby slept peacefully through his carefully orchestrated media moment. His mother, making her first public appearance since giving birth early Monday, called Archie "a dream" who "has the sweetest temperament."

"He's really calm," Meghan said. Harry quipped: "I wonder who he gets that from." Harry and Meghan did not choose an aristocratic title for their son. He is not a prince but could have been given the title "Lord" before his first name.

Instead he will be known for now as "Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor." The surname, used by some members of the royal family, was created to recognize the lineage of both Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip.

Unlike many senior royals, Archie only has one middle name. Prince Harry's full name is Henry Charles Albert David. The couple did not disclose why they chose his first and middle names — though the meaning of Harrison, "son of Harry," is probably a clue.

Many in Britain had expected a more traditional royal name, with bookmakers taking many bets on Alexander, Arthur and James. Archie, a name of Germanic origin with meanings that include "genuine", "bold" and "brave," is an increasingly popular baby name in Britain. It was among the top 20 most common boy's names in 2017, according to the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics.

Tourists visiting Windsor Castle, which is nearby the royal residence outside London that Meghan and Harry moved into last month, mulled over the baby's name. Surprise seemed to be the most common reaction.

"A mouthful for him," Elizabeth Barker, an Irish tourist, said laughing. "But anyway, I guess, if that's what they wanted, then it's the name that they like. You know, nobody has to like it." In America, famous Archies, both real and fictional, have included former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp and the red-haired comic book character Archie Andrews.

The baby's name was announced a few hours after his proud parents posed with him for cameras, helping to satisfy a huge global appetite since their son was born Monday at 5:26 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces (3.26 kilograms).

Standing in the vast, red-carpeted St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle, Harry cradled the newborn in his arms. The baby lay silently, swaddled in a white merino wool shawl and wearing a knitted cap. Both were made by English firm G.H. Hurt & Son, which has supplied three generations of royal babies with knitwear.

Meghan declared motherhood to be "magic." "It's pretty amazing," said the 37-year-old American, formerly known as actress Meghan Markle. "I have the two best guys in the world, so I'm really happy." Asked who the baby took after, Harry said it was too soon to tell.

"Everyone says that babies change so much over two weeks," said the 34-year-old prince. "We're basically monitoring how the changing process happens over this next month really. But his looks are changing every single day, so who knows."

"We're just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy," he added. The couple left the photo call to introduce the baby to his great-grandparents, the queen and Prince Philip. The infant is the eighth great-grandchild of 93-year-old Elizabeth, Britain's longest reigning monarch.

They were joined by Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, who is staying with the couple at their Frogmore Cottage home near the queen's Windsor Castle residence. The baby is the first Anglo-American member of the royal family, and is eligible for U.S. citizenship should his parents want him to have it. He has African-American heritage though his biracial mother.

Meghan, the former star of the TV show "Suits," married Harry, the ex-soldier younger son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in May 2018. An audience of millions around the world watched the spectacular televised wedding ceremony at Windsor Castle, 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of London.

Harry is due to return to royal duties Thursday, attending an event in The Hague for the Invictus Games sports competition for injured service personnel and veterans. Harry is likely to make the jaunt to the Netherlands as a day trip so he can get back to his family in Windsor.

Prince William, Harry's older brother and a father of three, joked Tuesday that he will be glad "to welcome my own brother into the sleep deprivation society that is parenting!" "Obviously thrilled, absolutely thrilled, and obviously looking forward to seeing them in the next few days," William told reporters.

Thousands flood Belarus capital as election protests grow

August 14, 2020

MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Tens of thousands of people flooded the heart of the Belarus capital of Minsk on Friday in a show of anger over a brutal police crackdown this week on peaceful protesters that followed a disputed election, and authorities sought to ease rising public fury by freeing at least 2,000 who were jailed after earlier demonstrations.

Factory workers marched across the city shouting “Go away!” in a call for authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to resign after 26 years of iron-fisted rule that was extended in an election Sunday that protesters denounced as rigged.

Friday's crowds grew to more than 20,000, filling central Independence Square. About a dozen soldiers guarding the nearby government headquarters lowered their riot shields in what the demonstrators saw as a sign of solidarity, and women rushed to embrace and kiss the guards.

As the protesters rallied on the square, Lukashenko dismissed them as puppets manipulated from abroad. During a meeting with top law enforcement officials, he defended the crackdown as a justified response to violence against police by some of the protesters. The Interior Ministry said 121 police officers were injured.

He told officials, however, to avoid excessive force. “If a person falls down and lies still, don't beat him!” Lukashenko said. The Belarusian leader cautioned people against turning out for protests, saying the country is facing foreign “aggression.”

“Don't get out into the streets. You should understand that you and your children are being used as cannon fodder,” Lukashenko said, alleging that people from Poland, the Netherlands, Ukraine and some members of Russia's opposition were fomenting the unrest.

“Do you want me to sit and wait until they turn Minsk upside down?” he said. “We won't be able to stabilize the situation afterwards. We must take a break, collect ourselves and calm down. And let us restore order and deal with those who have come here.”

The claim of foreign agitation was greeted with disdain by protesters. “Nobody believes these horror stories about external forces. We are tired of constant enemies and conspiracies,"said Galina Erema, 42. “He usurped power and has not left for 26 years. This is the reason for the protests.”

A messaging app that has been a key communications means for protesters announced plans for marches on Sunday in Minsk and “other cities and hamlets of Belarus,” an indication that determination remains strong.

Earlier, police didn't interfere as the protesters marched across the city, reflecting Lukashenko's apparent attempt to assuage the opposition by stepping back from the violent police crackdowns seen across the country earlier this week.

The release by the Interior Ministry of about 2,000 of the nearly 7,000 people detained was seen as another move to defuse popular outrage. It said more would be freed. Many who were released spoke of brutal beatings and other abuse by police, and some showed bruises on their bodies. Some of them wept as they embraced waiting relatives.

“The authorities are obviously trying to de-escalate the situation and ease the tensions, fearing that the furious industrial workers will take to the streets all across Belarus,” said Valiantsin Stefanovich of the Viasna rights center.

Demonstrators have swarmed the streets ever since Sunday's election in which officials reported that Lukashenko won 80% of the vote to win a sixth term in office. His main challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who fled on Tuesday to neighboring Lithuania, posted a new video in which she disputed the results of the vote and demanded that the government start a dialogue with demonstrators.

The ferocious crackdown has left hundreds injured since Sunday as police have dispersed the largely peaceful demonstrations with stun grenades, tear gas, rubber bullets and severe beatings. At least one person has been killed.

The brutal suppression of protests drew harsh criticism in the West. European Union foreign ministers said they rejected the election results and tasked officials with drawing up a list of people in Belarus who could face sanctions over their role in the crackdown.

“Work begins on sanctioning those responsible for violence and falsification,” tweeted EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Earlier, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the EU wants to “significantly increase the pressure on Belarus.”

Thousands of factory workers who previously formed the core of Lukashenko's base have joined the protests, denouncing the police crackdown and demanding a new election, raising the prospect of a nationwide strike.

“Our entire shop voted against Lukashenko and then we suddenly learned that he won by a landslide,” 42-year-old assembly worker Dmitry Glukhovsky said outside the Minsk Automobile Plant, or MAZ. “They not only have cheated us but also beaten us up, and no one is going to accept that.”

He said that his assembly shop went on strike Friday to demand a new election. More than 1,000 workers could be seen in the factory's yard, shouting “Down!” in a call for Lukashenko to resign. At the Minsk Tractor Plant, or MTZ, about 1,000 workers also rallied to demand Lukashenko's resignation and then marched toward the government headquarters. As they reached the center of the capital, the crowds grew and people stood applauding and motorists honked in support.

“We want a new election, a new government and a new life,” said 44-year-old engineer Mikhail Marchuk as he marched along with other plant workers toward central Minsk. “We will protest until we win.”

Workers also rallied at many other major factories in an unprecedented challenge to Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and earned the nickname of “Europe’s last dictator” for his relentless suppression of dissent.

Earlier in the day, Lukashenko warned that the strikes would deepen the damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic and could lead to Belarus losing its niche in global markets. After the crackdown, police stood back Thursday and Friday as protests grew in Minsk and other cities. Women, many dressed in white and carrying flowers and portraits of detained loved ones, formed human chains on Thursday as motorists honked in support. Dozens of military and police veterans posted videos in which they dumped their uniforms in the trash.

The demonstrations have spread even though they lack leaders. Tsikhanouskaya urged her supporters to stop protests in an earlier video that her associates said was recorded under pressure from law enforcement officials while she was still in Minsk. The 37-year-old former teacher had joined the race to replace her husband, an opposition blogger, who has been jailed since May.

In the video released Friday, Tsikhanouskaya again challenged the election results, saying that copies of protocols from precincts where the vote was counted fairly show her winning 60% to 70%. She urged the government to end violence and engage in dialogue with protesters.

“The Belorussians will never want to live under the current government,” she said. “The authorities have turned peaceful demonstrations into a bloodbath.” She also announced she was setting up a coordination council to help ensure a "peaceful transition of power.”

As Lukashenko faces new Western sanctions, he moved quickly to mend ties with his main sponsor and ally, Russia, after Belarus arrested 32 private Russian military contractors on charges of planning to stage riots before the election.

Moscow has rejected the accusations, saying the men were en route to another country, and alleged that their arrest was a provocation by Ukraine's spy agency that had fed misleading information about their mission to authorities in Minsk.

Russia's Prosecutor General Office said Friday the contractors have returned home. Another Russian arrested in Belarus, political consultant Vitaly Shklyarov, who also holds Belarusian citizenship, has remained in custody on charges of organizing riots, according to his lawyer.

Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov and Jim Heintz in Moscow, Lorne Cook in Brussels and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.

Hong Kong media tycoon relieved he wasn't sent to China

August 13, 2020

HONG KONG (AP) — Jimmy Lai had just finished his morning exercise and was catching up on the news when the police arrived. “There were 15, 20 policemen there, and they said I was under arrest and that they were from the national security department,” the Hong Kong media tycoon recounted in a live-streamed video chat Thursday.

His arrest Monday morning at his home was the highest-profile detention under a new national security law that took effect in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory on June 30. He has not been charged but was held for 36 hours on suspicion of colluding with a foreign country or entity. He was released on bail.

Lai, 71, said he was worried he could be sent to the mainland, where the legal system has fewer protections. His fears were allayed when he realized that the officers were not speaking in Mandarin, the mainland Chinese language.

“I kind of settled down a little bit because … I knew that I wouldn’t be sent to China at least,” he said. The national security law says that certain cases can come under the jurisdiction of mainland China. Chinese and Hong Kong officials say most cases will be handled locally.

In the hours after his arrest, Lai was taken to his office and his personal yacht as police searched for evidence. He was also shifted between several police stations, as there was an electricity blackout in one, while in another the fingerprint machine was not working.

“A lot of the time I was sitting there waiting,” he said, adding it was the first time he had spent so much time in handcuffs as police took him from place to place. The headquarters of his Next Digital media group, which operates the pro-democracy Apple Daily tabloid, was raided by hundreds of officers after his arrest, stoking fears that press freedom would be curtailed.

Hong Kong has long enjoyed freedoms not found on the mainland under a “one country, two systems” framework. Lai expressed surprise that his arrest came so quickly, saying that he thought authorities would keep a low profile because of the strong condemnation of the law by some in the international community.

He has been a harsh critic of the new law and China's ruling Communist Party. “If I knew that I will end up here or eventually in prison, would I have changed myself in other way? I thought about it, and I said no, because this is my character,” he said. “This is the way I react to things. My character is my destiny.”

Following Lai's arrest on Monday, investors rushed to buy Next Digital stock in a show of support. The stock surged more than 1,100% to 1.61 Hong Kong dollars before settling around 0.38 Hong Kong dollars on Thursday. That’s still nearly five times higher than before Lai’s arrest.

He urged people not to engage in a buying spree of Next Digital shares. “I advise nobody to touch it,” he said. “Because this is just a very ephemeral phenomenon that’s not going to last.”

As Hong Kongers seek to emigrate, some simply can't leave

August 12, 2020

HONG KONG (AP) — Pamela Lam’s 6-year-old son fell in love with the Hong Kong protest anthem, ‘Glory to Hong Kong’, the first time he heard it, and he loves singing it, at home, in the shower, and sometimes on the streets.

Thanks to a sweeping new national security law, though, singing it in public is now risky. As China's communist leaders tighten controls that many believe are stripping semi-autonomous Hong Kong of its freedoms, some families are considering moving away from the former British colony, but few can afford to.

After Britain announced in May that it would allow holders of British National (Overseas) passports extended stays and a path to citizenship, thousands of Hong Kongers rushed to renew or apply for them.

That may be an option for relatively affluent Hong Kongers, who often have been educated overseas and hold multiple passports, but not for most of its 7 million residents. One in five Hong Kong families scrapes by below the poverty line in a city with one of the biggest populations of billionaires, many of whom are tycoons who carved out lucrative niches in manufacturing, trade, property development and finance.

“I’ve thought about moving to Australia, or the U.K., but we don’t have the financial ability to do it now,” said Lam, who has a BNO passport. “We don’t have to worry about putting food on the table or the clothes on our backs, but there isn’t much room for more," said Lam, a freelance designer whose family’s monthly income is about $4,300.

Most people in most countries either cannot or would not consider moving away to escape their governments. But many living in Hong Kong chose to escape the communist mainland or are descended from people who did.

Lam’s parents fled from China in the 1970s, seeking a better life free from political chaos and poverty. She joined peaceful mass protests last year and is among many younger Hong Kong residents who grew up counting on the enclave’s freedoms and hoping for greater, not less democracy.

Beijing promised Hong Kong 50 years of a “one-country, two-systems” arrangement granting the city its own customs territory and legal system after the 1997 handover. They are underpinned by western-style civil liberties, such as the right to public dissent, that are rarely allowed on the Chinese mainland.

Even moving to nearby Taiwan, a self-governed island democracy that China claims as its own territory, would be a stretch financially, Lam says. In early July, Taiwan opened an office to help Hong Kongers interested in studying, working or starting a business to move to the island. The office said it had received over 1,000 inquiries as of July 27, mostly related to emigration.

For many families, it’s a “very tough life” in Hong Kong, especially if they have mortgages to pay off, said Paul Yip, a professor at the University of Hong Kong’s department of social work. He puts the number of Hong Kongers enjoying a Western-style middle class life and likely able to afford emigration at about 10% of the population.

It’s unclear how many in Hong Kong might be considering moving. Hong Kong police say the number of people requesting a certificate of no convictions — often required to apply for visas — jumped 53% between 2014, the year an earlier round of protests called the Umbrella Revolution took place, and 2019.

As of December 2019, the number of people holding valid BNO passports was 314,779, according to the U.K., more than double four years earlier. Those who qualify can apply for visas enabling them and their immediate family members to live and work in the U.K. and eventually apply for citizenship, the British government says. However, they must show they have the means to support themselves in the U.K. for six months, and will not be entitled to public support.

As a freewheeling capitalist enclave, Hong Kong's population includes nearly 732,000 expatriates in the territory. Globetrotting bankers and other executives tend to arrive with a promise of tickets onward or back home already paid for. The more than 400,000 migrant workers who work in the city and send money home to families in the Philippines and Indonesia also usually have contracts providing them passage home.

But saving up enough to pack up and build a new life elsewhere may be nearly impossible for most living in a city where buying an apartment costs an average of nearly $32,000 per square meter and the median monthly wage is 18,200 Hong Kong dollars ($2,348).

It would cost between 10,000-15,000 pounds ($13,000-$19,000) for a family of three to relocate to Britain, including visas, flights, ground transport and deposits to rent an apartment, said Evgeny Pavlov, managing director for Mann’s Solutions, an immigration law firm based in Britain.

That's excluding costs to move household goods. Relocation inquiries to Pavlov's firm have grown by five to six times in the past two months. Most were from young professionals, entrepreneurs or investors, he said.

The increase coincided with the enactment of the security law, imposed by Beijing after the mass protests that began last year, triggered by proposed extradition legislation that could have resulted in Hong Kong people facing trial in mainland Chinese courts.

The bill eventually was withdrawn after demonstrations escalated with demands for more democracy and government accountability, sometimes turning violent. May Cheung, a divorcee in her 50s with two grown children, also dreams of moving away, to Taiwan. But since she earns just over 10,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,280) a month working at a church, barely enough to get by, she is resigned to staying, but not to giving up on rights she cherishes.

She joined thousand of others in July 1 protests against the national security law and says she intends to keep demonstrating. “What I know about this national security law is that it makes a totalitarian government even more totalitarian,” she said. “There is no freedom, you can see for yourself –- even speech is restricted.”

The government says the security law targets only a small number of people who engage in secessionist and subversive behavior. But it has arrested scores of people. It also criminalized the popular protest slogan ‘Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time’ -– a phrase included in the protest anthem. The education bureau has banned the song.

Lam worries that pro-democracy speech, and even her son’s singing of the song he likes so much he learned to say it in sign language, might be considered subversive and punished. She says she plans to educate her son about the issues they face.

“I believe that thought is free,” Lam said. “He may just be a child, but he has a sense of right from wrong.” “We can’t be the first to cut ourselves off, or self-censor.”

'Palestine is still the issue': UN vote exposes, isolates Canada

August 14, 2020

The notion that ‘Canada is better’, especially when compared with US foreign policy, has persisted for many years. Recent events at the United Nations have, however, exposed the true nature of Canada’s global position, particularly in the matter of its blind and unconditional support for Israel.

On June 17, Canada lost its second bid for the coveted UN Security Council seat, which, had it won, would have allowed Ottawa the opportunity to become a world leader, pushing its own agenda – and those of its allies – on the global stage.

However, this, too, was a wasted opportunity. Only 108 countries voted for Canada while 130 and 128 voted for Norway and Ireland respectively. Both these countries will be admitted to the Security Council, starting January 1, 2021.

What is striking about Canada’s missed opportunity is that it was in retribution for Canada’s bias towards Israel, at the expense of Palestine, international and humanitarian laws.  Over the last twenty years alone, for example, Canada has voted against 166 resolutions supporting Palestinian rights, says Canadian author and human rights advocate, Yves Engler.

Moreover, Canada has lobbied – and continues to lobby – against the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation of war crimes in Palestine. Along with Germany, Austria and others, Canada has challenged the ICC’s jurisdiction on the matter, erroneously alleging that Palestine is not a State.

Shortly before the June vote on new Security Council members was held, a group of human rights activists circulated a letter to all UN members, detailing Canada’s poor record on Palestine.  “Despite its peaceful reputation, Canada is not acting as a benevolent player on the international stage,” the letter read.

It added, “Since coming to power, the Justin Trudeau government has voted against more than 50 UN resolutions upholding Palestinian rights, even though they have been backed by the overwhelming majority of member states.”

Among the signatories of the letter were renowned American intellectual, Noam Chomsky, famed rock star, Roger Waters and former Quebec National Assembly member, Amir Khadir.

The vote against Canada at the UN was understood to be a stance against Ottawa’s position on Israel and Palestine, despite Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, Marc-Andre Blanchard, going on the defensive in a desperate attempt to dissuade member states from voting against his country.

In a letter sent to all member states, Blanchard argued that an earlier document written by “a group of Canadians regarding Canada’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict  … contains significant inaccuracies and characterizes Canada’s longstanding policy positions”.

This succession of actions is unprecedented in recent years, where a country like Canada loses the respect and support of other UN member states largely due to its failure to respect the rights of the Palestinian people. To better understand the significance of this event, we spoke to Yves Engler, who played a direct role in championing the Palestinian cause and pushing for Canadian accountability at the United Nations.

Engler has also authored several books, among them “Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid” and “Left, Right: Marching to the Beat of Imperial Canada”.

“It is important for people to realize that this anti-Palestinian position that Canada pursues today is not new. It is grounded in at least a century of Zionist policy in this country,” Engler said.

The UN Vote

Explaining the context of the June UN vote, Engler said that “the current Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, who is a liberal politician, expended a lot of energy into winning that seat; he undertook a huge campaign, called dozens of leaders around the world, lobbied very hard for that seat but, on the first round of voting, Canada was defeated resoundingly by Ireland and Norway.”

Engler added, “In my mind, there was no issue that contributed more to Canada’s loss in its bid for a Security Council seat than its anti-Palestinian record. And, more specifically, its voting against UN General Assembly resolutions that almost the entire world supports, isolated Canada with the US, Israel, Micronesia, and maybe one or two other countries.”

The Canadian setback at the UN should be directly attributed to grassroots activists and intellectuals like Engler.

“Activists’ groups – that I was part of – exposed records spanning the past two decades of the Canadian government voting consistently against the UN General Assembly resolutions. It voted against 166 UN General Assembly resolutions over the past twenty years. In comparison, Ireland and Norway did not vote against a single one of those UN General Assembly resolutions.”

The Media Lobby

“But how did Canada become pro-Israel?” we asked Engler.

“There is a very well-organized, pro-Israel lobby in Canada that is able to exert its influence over the media,” Engler said. “For instance, the pro-Israel group, ‘Honest Reporting Canada’, concentrates on criticizing every media source that expresses even a hint of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.”

However, compared with the dynamics of Israeli influence over Washington, Canada is quite different. Unlike the US, Engler continues, “Canada has much clearer restrictions on the funding of politicians, so there is nobody like Sheldon Adelson who gives a couple of hundred million dollars to Donald Trump which, then,  sway Trump to adopt even more extreme anti-Palestinian positions. This dynamic does not exist in Canada, but the dominant media has always been sympathetic to the Zionist movement.”

Encouragingly, pro-Palestinian sentiment in Canada has grown over the last twenty years or so, to become a large network, an organized movement in its own right, which has, according to Engler, to “some extent, countered the dominance of the Zionist narrative.”

Canadian media, however, is still unwilling to challenge Israel’s power in the country, leaving the stage open to “pro-Israel groups  … to attack pro-Palestinian activists.”  “There is an incredible amount of trepidation, even in the pro-Palestinian movement, of being labeled as anti-Jewish,” Engler said.

Grassroots Activism

Similar to the trend in other western countries, pro-Palestine groups in Canada are small, diverse and organized at grassroots levels. These groups “tend not to be particularly well-founded or institutionally strong, while the pro-Israel side is far better organized.”

Yet, despite the pro-Israeli influence in government and media, “polls show, repeatedly, that the public is increasingly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause than what appears in the dominant media or in the official protocol. A recent poll has revealed that Canadians are very sympathetic towards boycotting Israel for violating international law.”

A March 2017 poll indicated that 78% of all Canadians believe that “BDS is reasonable”. Engler sees much hope in these numbers, referring to them and to the vote at the UN as “small victories.”

The growing pro-Palestinian sentiment is now also seeping into politics. Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent decision to annex nearly a third of the occupied Palestinian West Bank, 57 members of parliament strongly protested this decision, demanding action from their government should Tel Aviv proceed with its illegal measures.

The change is far more rewarding within labor unions in the country than in politics. “Forty years, ago… unions were aggressive in their support of Zionism; today, this is no longer the case, as many unions have passed resolutions supporting BDS campaigns.”

While Canada’s support for Israel is, to a certain extent, consistent with Canada’s own colonial past and present interventionist foreign policy, the Canadian people and the international community remain major obstacles, challenging the toxic affinity between Ottawa and Tel Aviv.

The hope is that the growing pro-Palestinian tide, predicated on respect for international law and human rights, will eventually prevail in order to sever the Canada-Israel rapport permanently, and allow Canada to earn its place as a global leader.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200814-palestine-is-still-the-issue-un-vote-exposes-isolates-canada/.

Top militant linked to beheadings surrenders in Philippines

August 14, 2020

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A leading terror suspect who has been linked to beheadings of hostages, including two Canadians and a Malaysian, has surrendered after being wounded in battle, officials said Friday.

National police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said Thursday night that Abu Sayyaf commander Anduljihad Susukan gave up after negotiations with police in southern Davao city, where he was served warrants for at least 23 cases of murder, 6 for attempted murder and 5 for kidnapping.

He is the highest-ranking commander of the small but brutal Abu Sayyaf group to be taken into custody so far this year. The military has been waging a years-long offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, which has been blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization for past bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings. Many of its gunmen, mostly peasants and desperately poor villagers, have aligned themselves with the Islamic State group.

Security officials have blamed Susukan and his men for playing a role in cross-border kidnappings of tourists and other victims from the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island, including a Malaysian citizen, who was beheaded by the militants in 2015 in their jungle base in southern Sulu province on the day when Malaysia's then-Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived in Manila to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Susukan also helped finance the kidnappings in the south of two Canadian men, who were separately beheaded in Sulu in 2016 after the militants failed to get a huge ransom. Another Abu Sayyaf militant, Ben Yadah, murdered the two Canadians and remains at large, a military officer said.

Susukan surrendered to a Muslim rebel chief after the accidental explosion of his M203 rifle grenade in a gunbattle with troops in Sulu severed his left arm. Military officials had believed he was killed but later learned he was in the custody of Nur Misuari, who leads an armed group which signed a 1996 peace deal with the government.

Misuari flew from Jolo to Davao city on a private plane with a few companions that included Susukan on Sunday, sparking speculation he may be planning to present the terror suspect to President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte has been staying in his hometown in Davao city, where Misuari also has a home. Although the president has appointed Misuari as a special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Muslim rebel chief has not been clearly authorized to hold talks with suspected terrorists.

“His giving himself up to Mr. Misuari is not the surrender contemplated under the law and does not make him immune from arrest,” military spokesman Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said of Susukan in a statement.

Under a murky arrangement, Misuari and his rebel force have been allowed to keep their weapons in Sulu and outlying provinces under the 1996 Muslim autonomy deal in the south, homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

Belarus leader says Russia willing to help counter protests

August 15, 2020

MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators in Belarus took to the streets again Saturday to demand that the country's authoritarian leader resign after a presidential vote they called fraudulent. In response, the president declared that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had agreed to provide security assistance to restore order if Belarus requested it.

President Alexander Lukashenko spoke Saturday evening several hours after a phone call with Putin as he struggled to counter the biggest challenge yet to his 26 years in power. Saturday was the seventh consecutive day of large protests against the results of the country's Aug. 9 presidential election in which election officials claimed the 65-year-old Lukashenko won a sixth term in a landslide. Opposition supporters believe the election figures were manipulated and say protesters have been beaten mercilessly by police since the vote.

Harsh police crackdowns against the protesters, including the detention of some 7,000 people, have not quashed the most sustained anti-government movement since Lukashenko took power in 1994. The demonstrators rallied Saturday at the spot in the capital of Minsk where a protester died this week in clashes with police. Some male protesters pulled off their shirts to show bruises they said came from police beatings. Others carried pictures of loved ones beaten so badly they could not attend the rally.

Luksahenko did not specify what sort of assistance Russia would be willing to provide. But he said “when it comes to the military component, we have an agreement with the Russian Federation,” referring to a mutual support deal the two former Soviet republics signed back in the 1990s.

“These are the moments that fit this agreement,” he added. Both the European Union and the U.S. government say the presidential election in Belarus was flawed. Lukashenkov's main opponent in the vote, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, fled to Lithuania the day after the election, knowing that several previous presidential challengers have been jailed for years on charges that supporters say were trumped up. Other potential challengers, blocked by election officials from running, fled the country before the vote.

A funeral was held Saturday for Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester who died Monday in the capital of Minsk under disputed circumstances. Belarusian police said he died when an explosive device he intended to throw at police blew up in his hand.

But his partner, Elena German, told The Associated Press that when she saw his body in a morgue on Friday, his hands showed no damage and he had a perforation in his chest that she believes is a bullet wound.

Hundreds of people came to pay their last respects to Taraikovsky, who lay in an open casket. As the coffin was carried out, many dropped to one knee, weeping and exclaiming “Long live Belarus!” Video shot by an Associated Press journalist on Monday shows Taraikovsky with a bloodied shirt before collapsing on the ground. Several police are seen nearby and some walk over to where Taraikovsky is lying on the street and stand around him.

The video does not show why he fell to the ground or how his shirt became bloodied, but it also does not show that he had an explosive device that blew up in his hand as the government has said. About 5,000 demonstrators gathered Saturday in the area where Taraikovsky died. They laid a mass of flowers in tribute, piling into a mound about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, as passing cars blared their horns.

“It’s awful to live in a country where you can be killed at a peaceful protest. I will leave, if power isn’t changed,” said 30-year-old demonstrator Artem Kushner. Earlier, the 65-year-old Lukashenko on Saturday rejected suggestions that foreign mediators become involved in trying to resolve the country’s political crisis.

“Listen — we have a normal country, founded on a constitution. We don’t need any foreign government, any sort of mediators, ” Lukashenko said at a meeting with Defense Ministry officials. He appeared to be referring to an offer from the leaders of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to help resolve the politcal crisis in Belarus, a nation of 9.5 million people.

But he did discuss the situation in a call Saturday with Putin, the first publicly known direct contact between the two leaders since the election. A Kremlin statement said Putin and Lukashenko both expressed hope for a quick resolution to the tensions.

“It is important that these problems are not used by destructive forces aimed at causing injury to the cooperation of the two countries in the framework of the union state,” the Kremlin said. Russia and Belarus reached an agreement in 1997 about closer ties between the neighboring ex-Soviet countries in a union that stopped short of a full merger, although that has collided with recent disputes between the countries and Lukashenko's suspicions that Putin's government wants to absorb Belarus.

Protests about the political crisis in Belarus were also held Saturday in the Czech Republic and in front of the Belarusian Embassy in Moscow. The brutal suppression of protests in Belarus has drawn harsh criticism in the West. European Union foreign ministers said Friday that they rejected the election results in Belarus and began drawing up a list of officials in Belarus who could face sanctions over their role in the crackdown on protesters.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday that he was glad to see that some protesters in Belarus had been freed but that it was not enough. He also said the presidential election in Belarus fell short of democratic standards.

“We've said the elections themselves (in Belarus) weren't free. I've spent the last days consulting with our European partners,” he said Saturday at a news conference in Warsaw with his Polish counterpart.

“Our common objective is to support the Belarusian people. These people are demanding the same things that every human being wants,” Pompeo said. “We urged the leadership to broaden the circle to engage with civil society.”

Jim Heintz in Moscow and Matthew Lee in Warsaw contributed contributed to this story.

Iran, Turkey lash out at UAE over agreement with Israel

August 14, 2020

JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran and Turkey lashed out at their regional rival the United Arab Emirates on Friday over its decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel in a U.S.-brokered deal, accusing it of betraying the Palestinian cause.

Iran's Foreign Ministry called the deal a “dagger that was unjustly struck by the UAE in the backs of the Palestinian people and all Muslims.” Turkey said the peoples of the region “will never forget and will never forgive this hypocritical behavior” by the UAE.

The UAE, which has never fought Israel and has quietly been improving ties for years, said the agreement put a hold on Israel's plans to unilaterally annex parts of the occupied West Bank, which the Palestinians view as the heartland of their future state.

But the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the UAE had no authority to negotiate with Israel on behalf of the Palestinians or “to make concessions on matters vital to Palestine.” The agreement would make the UAE the first Gulf Arab state — and the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan — to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. The Palestinians say the deal amounts to “treason” and have called on Arab and Muslim countries to oppose it.

The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory for U.S. President Donald Trump as he seeks re-election and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians. Trump has predicted that other countries in the region will follow the UAE's lead.

Israel, the UAE and other Gulf countries that view Iran as a regional menace have been cultivating closer ties in recent years. Turkey has had diplomatic relations with Israel for decades, but under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has positioned itself as a champion of the Palestinians. Turkey and the UAE support rival camps in the conflict in Libya.

Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas welcomed both the agreement and the decision to suspend annexation and called to congratulate his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi on “this historic step.” “We stand by our position that only a negotiated two-state solution can bring lasting peace to the Middle East,” Maas said in a statement. "Together with our European partners and the region we have campaigned intensively in past months against an annexation and for the resumption of direct negotiations. We are also ready to actively support such a process.”

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and David Rising in Berlin contributed.

Fewer people but deep faith on Greece's Assumption holiday

August 15, 2020

TINOS, Greece (AP) — In twos and threes, in small groups or alone, they came. Most walking, many crawling, ignoring bloodied knees and aching arms to climb a hill to the famed church housing an icon of the Virgin Mary believed to perform miracles.

Some wept openly, the anguish of their personal strife painted on their faces. All stopped and bowed their heads, many leaning over to kiss the icon. For nearly 200 years, Greek Orthodox faithful have flocked to the Aegean island of Tinos for the August 15 feast day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the most revered religious holiday in the Orthodox calendar after Easter.

The annual celebration is normally a resplendent and crowded affair, with a navy band and honor guard leading a procession carrying the icon down the hill from the church to the port. Thousands pack the broad flagstone street, kneeling and waiting for the icon to pass over them.

But this year there was no procession or massive crowd, the ceremony — like so many lives across the globe — upended by the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the icon stayed inside the church. The navy band and honor guard remained in the church courtyard, and police reminded the faithful to wear masks. Inside, an attendant disinfected the glass case containing the icon after each kiss.

“We can’t do anything about it, it has to be this way,” said Aggeliki Kolia as she joined the queue to enter the church Saturday. “But it’s very bad. You don’t feel what you felt in previous years.” Greece is experiencing a resurgence of the virus, with new daily cases jumping from the low double digits at the start of summer to more than 200 over the past three days. Authorities have tightened restrictions and police are enforcing the measures.

Kolia said the Aug. 15 crowd would normally be so thick it would take her three hours to get from the port to the church. This time there were just a few hundred people, and only a few minutes’ wait to get to the icon.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she said she traveled from the central Greek town of Thebes to Tinos after making a pledge to the Virgin Mary for her child. “I’ve lived through very difficult situations and the Virgin Mary truly helped me,” she said. “That’s why I came.”

It is this unshakable belief that the Virgin Mary can intercede in times of great personal tribulation that draws so many Orthodox faithful to the icon each year. “Every Christian has the Virgin Mary as their mother, and that is something that is very important in our lives, in our difficulties, in our needs,” explained Metropolitan of Syros and Tinos Dorotheos, the regional bishop who led Saturday’s church service. “We turn to her as a small child turns to seek security in its mother’s embrace.”

Pilgrims’ beliefs, he said, are not affected by coronavirus restrictions. “The faith of people is not tested by these things, which are temporary and ephemeral,” Dorotheos told The Associated Press. “Neither the masks nor the maintenance of social distancing have reduced the faith of the people and their piety, and their presence here in Tinos.”

A pilgrimage to the Holy Church of Panagia Evaggelistra of Tinos, or Our Lady of Tinos, is for many the highlight of the year. “For me, Tinos is something bigger than my life,” said Nikos Katseris, beads of sweat clinging to his forehead as he paused outside the church gates for a rest in his long crawl from the seafront — a distance of 500 meters (1,640 feet).

“I’ve been coming here for around 10 years, and when I leave here I am always very happy. The Virgin Mary of Tinos and all things holy always give me health and strength,” the 19-year-old said. This year he was giving thanks for his two-year-old daughter, who doctors had said was going to be born with health problems but who has had none.

Katseris admitted he doesn’t like wearing a mask in church. “With faith in God, I can’t understand that someone could catch something,” he said, although he was resigned to complying “to protect those around us.”

The icon itself was uncovered in a field in 1823, two years after the start of Greece’s War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire and as a plague swept the island. The official history relates that excavations began after a local nun had visions telling her where to look. A series of miracles are attributed to the icon, including the end of the plague on the island and numerous healings of the sick.

Since then, the faithful have flocked to see the icon, to touch and kiss it, bringing votive offerings that decorate the church and the icon itself. For Danou Chrysovalantou, it was her 12-year-old daughter's survival from open heart surgery last year that brought her to Tinos. Crawling up the hill on her hands and knees, she broke down in sobs when she reached the icon, muttering prayers as she leaned over to kiss it.

“The Virgin Mary is very important to me,” the 47-year-old said. “Whatever I ask for, she listens, and I thank her for it.”

France, Netherlands added to UK's 14-day quarantine list

August 14, 2020

LONDON (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers on Friday faced the prospect of having to go into self-isolation for 14 days when they return home after the British government reimposed quarantine restrictions on France following a recent pick-up in coronavirus infections.

In an announcement late Thursday, the government said France is being removed from the list of nations exempted from quarantine requirements because of rising coronavirus infections, which have surged by 66% in the past week. The Netherlands, Malta, Monaco and the Caribbean islands of Aruba and Turks & Caicos are also being added to the quarantine list.

The requirement to spend 14 days in self-isolation will apply to anyone returning to the U.K. after 4 a.m. local time on Saturday, a timeframe that may prompt many — particularly those who cannot work from home — to try to return before then.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the decision shouldn't have come as a big surprise given that the government has consistently said it will continue to monitor infection rates when assessing its list of safe countries.

“Unfortunately, this virus doesn’t play ball,” he told Sky News. "So people will look at their own situations. I think a lot of people would have been aware that this was a possibility in France and in some of these other countries.”

Any rush back is likely to be most prominent in France, the second-most popular holiday destination for British tourists after Spain, which was put on the quarantine list last month. Travel companies are urging anyone considering a swift return home to check whether they will be able to do so.

Getlink, which operates the Channel Tunnel rail service linking Britain and France, warned travelers that they may not be able to get back in time as services are heavily booked. John Keefe, Getlink’s director of public affairs, told the BBC that trains were “already pretty much fully booked” on Friday.

He said there was “some possibility of adding additional trains in the off-peak periods” but insisted that would-be travelers have to check online before heading to the terminal. While the number of new infections in Britain is also rising, they are not thought to be increasing at the same pace as in the countries added to the quarantine list. The latest 14-day cumulative figures from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control show 32.1 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in France, compared with 18.5 in the U.K.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday that everyone “understands that in a pandemic you don’t allow our population to be re-infected or the disease to come back in.” The decision is a big blow to France's tourism industry, which is heavily reliant on tourists from Britain.

France's junior minister for European affairs, Clement Beaune, indicated that that France would respond in kind. He said in a tweet that this is “a British decision that we regret and which will prompt a reciprocity measure, in the hope to get back to normal as soon as possible."

The U.K.'s quarantine approach has been criticized by many travel companies, some of whom are urging a change of tack, such as a ramp-up in testing of all arrivals in the country. Shapps said that proposal “isn’t quite as straightforward as it sounds” because many people may not test positive for the virus at the point of arrival but may end up doing so a few days later.

“You need to have a system which is more accurate than that before you can say to people you’ve now been tested and you don’t need to quarantine,” he said.

Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.