International
World Leaders Congratulate Charles III, AND Wife, Camilla

Leaders in the United States and Europe sent congratulations to Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation on Saturday, while China called for “cooperation” and “peace”.
Among the world leaders are:
US President Joe Biden, whose country was represented at the lavish ceremony in London by First Lady Jill Biden, paid tribute to the “enduring friendship between the US and the UK”.
He tweeted that the countries’ relationship was “a source of strength for both our peoples” and that he was “proud” his wife could be there for the “historic occasion”.
In an interview aired Friday, he said he would meet Charles, 74, in July to talk in particular about environmental issues.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the UK to work for “a stable and mutually beneficial… relationship” with his country after recent strains in their relations.
“China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should take a long-term and strategic view to jointly promote the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation,” he said.
Britain’s King Charles III wearing the Imperial state Crown, and Britain’s Queen Camilla wearing a modified version of Queen Mary’s Crown chat on the Buckingham Palace balcony while viewing the Royal Air Force fly-past in central London on May 6, 2023, after their coronations. – The set-piece coronation is the first in Britain in 70 years, and only the second in history to be televised. Charles will be the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at the central London church since King William I in 1066. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
The head of the European Union’s executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, called the coronation “a testament to the enduring strength of the British monarchy”.
“A symbol of stability and continuity,” von der Leyen tweeted, alongside a picture of her at the pageant-filled ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
EU Council President Charles Michel said the members of the 27-nation bloc, which the UK voted to leave in 2016, “appreciate the king’s vast experience to promote understanding and respect” and “his tireless efforts to promote the sustainability of our planet”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is in Kenya for a visit, also welcomed the newly crowned monarch’s interest in tackling climate change.
“(It) is very important that he is someone who is committed to a close cooperation between Great Britain and the European Union, and who also has his own personal agenda to advance climate protection,” Scholz said.
“That will also help us.”
– ‘Friends of France’ –
French President Emmanuel Macron, who also attended the London ceremony, sent his “congratulations” to Charles and Camilla, calling them “friends of France”.
“Proud to be with you on this historic day,” he tweeted.
– ‘Best wishes’ from Rome –
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose country was represented at the coronation by President Sergio Mattarella, sent her “best wishes to King Charles III, to Queen Camilla and the entire British people”.
In a message on social media, she noted the symbolism of the Italian craftsmanship involved in the rare mosaic floor of Westminster Abbey.
She said the ancient “Cosmati pavement” on which the Coronation Chair was placed was “masterfully created” and “there to amaze the world and to recall the historic and fruitful cooperation between Italy and the UK, which we are certain… will further strengthen with King Charles III”.
– Friend of Greece –
The foreign ministry in Greece, where Charles’s father Prince Philip was born in 1921 on the island of Corfu, tweeted in English to “warmly congratulate HM King Charles III, a proven friend of Greece, in his Coronation day”.
It wished him “success in his duties” and said it was “looking forward to continuing excellent cooperation and further deepening bilateral historic relations”.
AFP
International
Protest in US over Trump’s policies
Organisers said seven million people marched in protests spanning New York to Los Angeles, with demonstrations popping up in small cities across the US heartland and even near Trump’s home in Florida.

(AFP): Huge crowds took to the streets in all 50 US states at “No Kings” protests over the weekend, venting anger over President Donald Trump’s hardline policies, while Republicans ridiculed them as “Hate America” rallies.
Organisers said seven million people marched in protests spanning New York to Los Angeles, with demonstrations popping up in small cities across the US heartland and even near Trump’s home in Florida.
“This is what democracy looks like!” chanted thousands in Washington near the US Capitol, where the federal government was shut down for a third week because of a legislative deadlock.
Colourful signs called on people to “protect democracy,” while others demanded the country abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency at the centre of Trump’s anti-immigrant crackdown.
Demonstrators slammed what they called the Republican billionaire’s strong-arm tactics, including attacks on the media, political opponents and undocumented immigrants.
“I never thought I would live to see the death of my country as a democracy,” 69-year-old retiree Colleen Hoffman told AFP as she marched down Broadway in New York.
International
Thieves steal French crown jewels
They included the emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon gave his wife Empress Marie Louise, and the diadem of Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III.

•A tiara worn by the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III was stolen
Thieves wielding power tools raided the Louvre in broad daylight Sunday, taking just seven minutes to grab some of France’s priceless crown jewels, but dropping a gem-encrusted crown as they fled, officials and sources said.
Authorities recovered the 19th-century crown — damaged — near the museum.
The spectacular heist, one of several to target French museums in recent months, forced the closure of the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum and home to the Mona Lisa.
Police are looking for a team of four thieves, Paris’s chief prosecutor Laure Beccuau, told the BFMTV channel.
Soldiers patrolled the famed glass pyramid entrance, while evacuated visitors, tourists and passersby were kept at a distance behind police tape.
It was “like a Hollywood movie”, one American tourist, Talia Ocampo, told AFP.
It was “crazy” and “something we won’t forget — we could not go to the Louvre because there was a robbery”, she said.
A culture ministry statement said eight items of jewellery had been stolen from the Gallerie Apollon which houses the French crown jewels.
“Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of invaluable cultural heritage were stolen,” said the ministry statement.
They included the emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon gave his wife Empress Marie Louise, and the diadem of Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III.
Beccuau said the thieves threatened museum guards with the angle grinders they used to break into the jewellery cases. She said a team of 60 investigators were assigned to the crime.
– ‘Unsellable’ –
The robbers used a powered, extendable ladder of the sort used to hoist furniture into buildings to get into a gilded gallery housing the crown jewels, sources and officials said.
The 19th-century crown of Empress Eugenie, was found broken near the museum afterwards, a source following the robbery said, asking to remain anonymous because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
The crown, featuring golden eagles, is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, according to the museum’s website.
Crime
Netanyahu: Gaza War Not Over Until Hamas Disarms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Saturday that the Gaza war will not end until Hamas is disarmed and the territory is demilitarized.
His statement came as Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, handed over the remains of two more hostages under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. The Red Cross received the remains late Saturday, which were then transferred to Israeli security forces.
The recovery of dead hostages remains a key issue delaying full implementation of the ceasefire’s first phase. Israel has linked reopening the Rafah crossing with Egypt to the return of all hostages’ remains.
Netanyahu emphasized that completing the ceasefire’s second phase—which includes disarming Hamas—is crucial to ending the conflict. “When that is successfully completed—hopefully peacefully, but if not, by force—then the war will end,” he said on Israeli Channel 14.
Hamas has resisted disarmament and is working to reassert control over Gaza since the ceasefire began.
Under the ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, Hamas has released all 20 living hostages and the remains of 10 people, including Israelis and one Nepalese. Israel has freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returned 135 Palestinian bodies in exchange.
Hamas says it needs more time and assistance to recover remaining bodies buried under rubble. The two bodies returned Saturday were reportedly recovered earlier that day.
Netanyahu indicated that the Rafah crossing’s reopening depends on Hamas fulfilling its part in returning hostages’ bodies. While the Palestinian mission in Cairo announced the crossing might open Monday for Gazans in Egypt, Netanyahu’s office later ordered it remain closed until further notice.
Hamas warned the closure would delay the transfer of remains.
Meanwhile, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, visiting northern Gaza, described the devastation as “a vast wasteland” and highlighted the huge challenges ahead, including providing food, rebuilding healthcare, and preparing for winter.
Despite the ceasefire, some violence continued. Gaza’s civil defense reported Israeli tank fire killed nine Palestinians from the Shaaban family. Israeli military said they fired warning shots at a vehicle approaching their position, perceiving it as a threat, and acted under the ceasefire terms.
Relatives mourned the victims, with one grandmother asking, “What did they do wrong?”
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