- Mourners gather in South Africa for funeral of controversial Zulu prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi CNN
- South Africa: Veteran politician Buthelezi given state funeral in Ulundi, supporters pay tribute WION
- Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a controversial South African political figure, laid to rest The Washington Post
- Thatcher didn’t care that Buthelezi inflicted mass bloodshed on South Africa, but we mustn’t forget The Guardian
- Bheki Mngomezulu | IFP undertakes its toughest test after death of founder, Mangosuthu Buthelezi News24
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Tag Archives: mourners
Tyre Nichols updates: Mourners honour ‘beautiful person’ at Memphis funeral as family urges Congress to act
‘We mourn with you’: Kamala Harris gives passionate speech at Tyre Nichols’ funeral
A funeral for Tyre Nichols is underway in Memphis, more than three weeks after the 29-year-old Black man was fatally beaten by a group of police officers on 7 January. He died in hospital three days later.
Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the congregation at at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, where Rev Al Sharpton also delivered the eulogy and prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump issued a “call to action” in the wake of Nichols’s death and the police killings of Black Americans.
Rev Sharpton condemned the actions of the Black officers who are charged with Nichols’s murder, arguing that the sacrifies of civil rights leaders like Dr Martin Luther King Jr paved the way for their public service.
“People had to march and go to jail and some people lost their lives to open the doors for you. How dare you act like that sacrifice was for nothing?” he said.
City officials released the prior disciplinary records for the five officers who are now charged with murder, revealing that four of them had prior complaints against them.
Full story: Kamala Harris speaks at Tyre Nichols funeral in Memphis calling on Congress to pass police reform legislation
Vice President Kamala Harris urged Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, bipartisan police reform legislation that passed the House of Representatives in 2021 but stalled in a deadlocked Senate with Republican opposition.
The bill, named in honour of the Black man who was murdered by Minneapolis police officers in 2020, was co-authored by then-Senator Harris.
“Let the memory of Tyre shine a light on the path toward peace and justice,” Ms Harris said in her brief remarks.
Alex Woodward2 February 2023 09:00
‘We mourn with you’: Kamala Harris gives passionate speech at Tyre Nichols’s funeral
Vice President Kamala Harris was invited to attend the funeral of Tyre Nichols by his mother and stepfather, and the Rev Al Sharpton invited her to address the congregation gathered in Memphis on Wednesday.
She told his parents that “the people of our country mourn with you” and praised them for their “strength, courage, and grace”.
‘We mourn with you’: Kamala Harris gives passionate speech at Tyre Nichols’ funeral
Alex Woodward2 February 2023 08:00
‘Blood on their hands’: Tyre Nichols’ mother warns lawmakers against blocking George Floyd bill
Wednesday’s funeral for Tyre Nichols in Memphis saw a re-energised call for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, federal legislation that was passed by the House of Representatives in 2021 but has otherwise stalled in Congress.
Tyre Nichol’s mother says ‘blood on the hands’ of those who don’t pass George Floyd bill
Alex Woodward2 February 2023 07:00
‘The police are not always telling the whole truth’
“Police are partisan actors just like everyone else in power,” writes The Independent’s Josh Marcus, reflecting on his coverage of policing and criminal justice. “It’s vital to take their claims with a grain of salt.”
Alex Woodward2 February 2023 05:00
‘Elite’ police units in spotlight after brutal killing by Scorpion officers
Memphis Police Department’s now-disbanded SCORPION unit – which stands for “Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods” – was introduced in October 2021. It was dissolved in the aftermath of Tyre Nichols’s death.
The Independent’s Graeme Massie examines several similar controversial units in departments across the US that have been accused of abuse and excessive force.
Alex Woodward2 February 2023 03:00
Marjorie Taylor Greene compares Tyre Nichols’ beating to shooting of Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt
Far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene invoked the fatal shooting of Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt after the mention of Tyre Nichols, who was fatally beaten by police.
She then suggested that people who have been jailed for their roles in the insurrection are facing “civil rights abuse” in jail.
Ms Greene went on to say that Congress was doing nothing to address the treatment of other participants in the attack, many of whom remain incarcerated ahead of their respective trials.
There’s a simple reason for that: Ms Babbitt was part of a crowd that was actively trying to breach a door that had been barricaded in a restricted area. She was shot by an officer while attempting to climb through a window that her fellow rioters had broken. Federal prosecutors have closed the case and the officer was cleared of wrondoing.
Alex Woodward2 February 2023 02:00
Initial Memphis police report falsely claims Tyre Nichols ‘fought’ officers
A leaked incident report on Tyre Nichols’ arrest and fatal beating by Memphis police officers contains glaring inaccuracies that were later exposed after the release of bodycam and surveillance footage.
The report, written two hours after Nichols’ beating on 7 January, claimed that the 29-year-old was “irate” and refused lawful detention, tried to start a fight with officers, and also attempted to take an officer’s gun, during an initial traffic stop.
Alex Woodward2 February 2023 01:00
ICYMI: Four of five officers charged with murdering Tyre Nichols had prior complaints, records reveal
Four of the five former Memphis Police Department officers charged for the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols were suspended or reprimanded in prior incidents while working for the department, according to recently unveiled personnel files.
The officers faced little if any consequences, according to the city’s records of their cases, and they were praised in at least two instances, with other officers describing their actions as one-time events.
Alex Woodward2 February 2023 00:00
Watch: Daughter of Rodney King reacts to video of Tyre Nichols
‘They run because they fear for their lives’: Daughter of Rodney King reacts to video of Tyre Nichols
Alex Woodward1 February 2023 23:45
‘I’m Just Trying to Go Home’
LaToya Yizar, who says her mother was Tyre Nichols’ godmother, read a poem at his funeral invoking the words he told officers the night he was beaten.
From the lectern at Mississippi Boulevard Baptist Church in Memphis, she read “I’m Just Trying to Go Home”.
In his eulogy, the Rev Al Sharpton said that “home is not just a place.”
“Home is where you are at peace. Home is where you don’t have to keep your dukes up. Home is where you’re not vulnerable,” he said. “Home is where everything is all right.”
Alex Woodward1 February 2023 22:41
Queen Elizabeth’s death: King Charles III and Camilla visit Northern Ireland as thousands of mourners file past Queen’s coffin
The Queen’s coffin has been carried out of St. Giles’ and is being taken to the Scottish capital’s airport before being flown to London. It will then be driven to Buckingham Palace to rest in the Bow Room overnight.
Mourners had queued outside the cathedral on Monday evening for their turn to pay their final respects, before it closed on Tuesday afternoon. The Scottish government said more than 26,000 people got to file past the Queen.
Tuesday marked Charles’ first trip to Northern Ireland as the United Kingdom’s new monarch, following in the footsteps of his mother, who was seen as a symbol of the union and was an important figure during Northern Ireland’s peace process.
The historic visit saw the King arrive at the royal residence, Hillsborough Castle, where he greeted the public and looked at floral tributes. There he met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, and the leaders of Northern Ireland’s biggest political parties.
Charles and Camilla received a message of condolence by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly Alex Maskey, to which the King replied: “In the years since she began her long life of public service, my mother saw Northern Ireland pass through momentous and historic changes. Through all those years, she never ceased to pray for the best of times for this place and for its people.”
King Charles added that he would follow his mother’s example of dedicating “herself to her country and her people and to maintain the principles of constitutional government.”
Following the reception at the castle, the King and the Queen Consort arrived at St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast for an afternoon service of prayer and reflection. They will be introduced to faith and community leaders from across Northern Ireland. More than 800 people are expected to take part in the religious service, which was also attended by UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.
His visit comes at an uneasy moment for Northern Ireland, where political tensions are high and key issues around Brexit remain unresolved.
While the majority of the country voted to remain in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, the UK’s ruling Conservative Party signed a Brexit deal that created new customs barriers between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.
Elizabeth was the monarch for 70 years of Northern Ireland’s 101-year history.
She was Queen during the 30 bloody years of violence known as “The Troubles,” which pitted UK unionists against Irish nationalists, with the British Crown emblematic of much that divided the province.
Unionists are loyal to the Crown and the traditional British values they believe it enshrines. For Irish nationalists, it is the symbol of the British forces who subjugated their ancestors and annexed their land.
Louis Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy to India and Charles’ favorite great-uncle, was murdered by the Irish Republicans along with several of his grandchildren in 1979.
The Queen publicly put aside those differences during a 2012 visit to Northern Ireland, shaking the hand of Martin McGuinness, one of the republicans most associated with the violence of the past.
Charles also shook hands with Gerry Adams in 2015, seen as another milestone in the fragile peace process as Adams had long been associated with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), once considered the armed wing of Sinn Fein which is now the largest party in Northern Ireland.
The King and the Queen Consort have now left Belfast on their return to London.
To get updates on the British Royal Family sent to your inbox, sign up for CNN’s Royal News newsletter.
CNN’s Nic Robertson and Max Foster contributed to this report.
Queen Elizabeth’s coffin arrives in Edinburgh as mourners line streets
EDINBURGH, Scotland, Sept 11 (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth’s coffin arrived in Edinburgh on Sunday after a six-hour journey from her summer home in the Scottish Highlands, past tens of thousands of mourners lining the route, many in sombre silence, some applauding and others in tears.
Shortly after 10 a.m. (0900 GMT), a hearse carrying Elizabeth’s oak coffin emerged from the gates of Balmoral Castle, where she died on Thursday aged 96, at the start of a slow drive to the Scottish capital.
The coffin was draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland with a wreath on top made of flowers taken from the Balmoral estate including sweet peas, one of Elizabeth’s favourites.
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Crowds, fifteen deep in places, massed in the centre of Edinburgh to greet the cortege, which included the queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, as it made it way to the Palace of Holyroodhouse where it was met by a military guard of honour.
Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland then carried the coffin to the throne room of the palace where it will remain overnight.
“There was no way I could miss this. I would regret it for the rest of my life,” said Eilidh Mackintosh, 62, who left her home at 6 a.m. to be sure of a good view on Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile where large crowds were gathering.
“She never let us down and I didn’t want to let her down either. Now she has gone there is a big hole in the heart of the nation.”
The journey from Balmoral was the first of a series of events leading up to the state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on Sept. 19.
In an emotional tribute to his mother on Friday, the new monarch, King Charles, said she had begun a “last great journey” to join Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years who died last year.
Her death has drawn tears, sadness and warm tributes, not just from the queen’s own close family and many in Britain, but also from around the globe – reflecting her presence on the world stage for seven decades.
Wherever the cortege went as it wound its way through picturesque countryside, villages, small towns and cities, people lined the road or stopped their cars to get out and watch. At one point, it passed a guard of honour formed by dozens of tractors lined up in adjacent fields by farmers.
Many watched silently in bright sunshine. Some threw flowers into the road. For others, the emotion of the moment moved them to tears.
“It’s just very, very sad. I’m happy I was here to say our goodbyes,” said Elizabeth Alexander, 69, who was born on the day the queen was crowned in 1953. read more
Many thousands are continuing to gather at other royal palaces across Britain, and large piles of flowers are massing as people visit to pay their respects.
Charles became king immediately after his mother’s death and was officially proclaimed the new monarch at a ceremony on Saturday, full of pageantry and centuries-old traditions. read more
Britain’s King Charles arrives outside the Buckingham Palace, following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, in London, Britain September 11, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
Similar proclamations are following across the United Kingdom and the other 14 realms of which Charles is now head of state, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. read more
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said parliament would be recalled on Thursday to allow members to pay tribute. read more
The queen came to the throne following the death of her father King George VI on Feb. 6, 1952, when she was just 25. Her coronation took place a year later.
While Elizabeth’s death was not totally unexpected given her age and deteriorating health, there was still a sense of shock at the news.
“We all thought she was invincible,” her grandson Prince William, now the heir to the throne, told a well-wisher on Saturday as he met crowds at Windsor castle. read more
FUNERAL
The day of Elizabeth’s funeral will be a public holiday in Britain, officials have announced. U.S. President Joe Biden said he would be there, although full details of the event and the attendees have not yet been released.
Before that, her coffin will be flown to London and there will be a sombre procession when it is later moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where it will lie in state for four days.
“It goes without saying that we can expect large numbers of people,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Liz Truss told reporters.
Truss, whose appointment as prime minister on Tuesday was the queen’s last public act, will join King Charles as both the new head of state and prime minister tour the four nations of the United Kingdom in the next few days. read more
Charles, 73, is now the 41st monarch in a line that traces its origins to the Norman King William the Conqueror who captured the English throne in 1066.
Elizabeth’s death has capped a difficult couple of years for the royal family.
The most high-profile issue has involved her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who stepped down from royal life in 2020 to move to California from where they both have heavily criticised the institution.
That has left them alienated from the rest of the family, with Harry and his older brother William said to be barely on speaking terms. But the death of their grandmother has seen differences put aside, as they appeared together with their wives outside Windsor Castle to meet the crowds on Saturday. read more
A royal source described it as an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.
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Reporting by Michael Holden, William James and William Schomberg in London, Russell Cheyne in Balmoral, Lewis MacDonald and Marco Trujillo in Ballater, and Andrew MacAskill in Edinburgh; Editing by Kate Holton, Mark Potter, Frances Kerry and Andrew Heavens
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Kate Middleton tells mourners her ‘sweet’ Prince Louis, 4, told her the queen was ‘with great-grandpa now’
While greeting the public outside of Windsor Castle on Saturday, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, told a group of children that her youngest son Louis said his great-grandmother was “now with” his late great-grandfather Prince Philip after her death.
“My little Louis, he’s so sweet. He said: ‘Mommy don’t worry because she’s now with great-grandpa,'” the princess told members of the public mourning at the castle, according to a viral TikTok video.
“This just shows you just how special she was to everybody, all generations…thank you for coming to pay your respects,” Kate told the children, speaking about the large crowd mourning the queen.
Philip died at 99 years old last April. The couple had been married for 73 years.
HARRY AND MEGHAN APPEAR WITH WILLIAM AND KATE CTO GREET MOURNERS AT WINDSOR CASTLE
Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images” data-src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/HASAxhP8aH0q6jIDMwyK3A–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM5Nw–/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Qw8Z1uQqDkJBLLdFD.zDug–~B/aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media.zenfs.com/en/fox_news_text_979/e937ecb5bc2b2c138262f453d46c47ae”/>Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/HASAxhP8aH0q6jIDMwyK3A–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM5Nw–/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Qw8Z1uQqDkJBLLdFD.zDug–~B/aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media.zenfs.com/en/fox_news_text_979/e937ecb5bc2b2c138262f453d46c47ae” class=”caas-img”/>
Louis, who is the youngest brother to Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 7, stole the show during the Trooping the Colour ceremony at the queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June for all of the funny faces he made.
The prince acted like any other 4-year-old would at a perhaps too-long-for-him grown-up event by looking bored, sticking out his tongue and dramatically holding his hands over his ears as royal jets flew over the balcony where his stood with the royal family.
Getty Images” data-src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/NmyahZeKZhPXXw8Qf6DA1w–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM5Nw–/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/jN1HZxTCrxEHvRbM4ZXVqA–~B/aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media.zenfs.com/en/fox_news_text_979/0ad9bb3ebd0c170e5fa6ba68098745f1″/>Getty Images” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/NmyahZeKZhPXXw8Qf6DA1w–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM5Nw–/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/jN1HZxTCrxEHvRbM4ZXVqA–~B/aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media.zenfs.com/en/fox_news_text_979/0ad9bb3ebd0c170e5fa6ba68098745f1″ class=”caas-img”/>
PRINCE LOUIS, 4, GOES VIRAL AGAIN DURING QUEEN ELIZABETH’S PLATINUM JUBILEE PAGEANT
Photo by Yui Mok-WPA Pool/Getty Images” data-src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/mcI0HvlVvLzeCMokJeOYAA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTQ3MA–/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/2wkdX8jlEXKtuK_S2asi9Q–~B/aD0yMDAwO3c9MzAwMDthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/fox_news_text_979/c32c286ec6d77722e9c9e2b5b2426b1b”/>Photo by Yui Mok-WPA Pool/Getty Images” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/mcI0HvlVvLzeCMokJeOYAA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTQ3MA–/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/2wkdX8jlEXKtuK_S2asi9Q–~B/aD0yMDAwO3c9MzAwMDthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/fox_news_text_979/c32c286ec6d77722e9c9e2b5b2426b1b” class=”caas-img”/>
Kate and her husband William, Prince of Wales, were joined by his younger brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, which was seen as an olive branch by the heir to the throne amid reported tense relations.
A member of the public told Kate “it was really nice” to see all four of them together, according to ‘Sunday Times’ royal editor Roya Nikkhah.
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It has been reported that William and Kate may have first planned to avoid Harry and Meghan when the California transplants had originally planned to visit the continent and the U.K. for several events, but Queen Elizabeth II’s death at 96 years old on Thursday appeared to have changed that.
It was reportedly the first time the four had appeared together in public since March 2020. The couples, dressed in black, spot to members of the public mourning the queen’s death.
In June, the couples attended a service of thanksgiving during the queen’s jubilee but didn’t speak to each other.
In a show of unity after the loss of their grandmother, William and Harry were seen walking next to each other at one point during the about 30-minute outing.
William, Louis’ father, put out his first public statement about the queen’s death on Saturday.
“On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader,” he said. “I, however, have lost a grandmother.
“While I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.”
Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Princes William and Harry, with Catherine and Meghan, greet mourners
When the Sussexes lived in Britain, Meghan had a bitter relationship with much of the U.K. tabloid press that lingers today. They charged that the tabloids had incited racism against the duchess; they also alleged that there was institutional racism within the monarchy and that Buckingham Palace had failed to protect Meghan. In recent days, as the spotlight again intensified over the two couples, Meghan has also been the target of abuse on social media.
Additionally, Harry’s arrival at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, alone, before the death of his grandmother on Thursday had become a talking point. British media reported that King Charles III had told Harry it was not appropriate for Meghan to travel with him to Balmoral ahead of the queen’s death, as they had apparently intended.
But Saturday’s public appearance was the latest sign the royals may be repairing ties as they come together to mourn the death of their family matriarch. In his first televised speech from Buckingham Palace on Friday, Charles expressed his love for Harry and Meghan “as they continue to build their lives overseas.”
Harry is fifth in line to the throne, despite a controversial decision to step back from royal duties and move to the United States with Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
Following the queen’s death and the accession of Charles as monarch, the two Sussex children are entitled to the titles “prince” and “princess.” That right stems from protocols dating back to King George V in 1917, which state that the children and grandchildren of the sovereign are granted the royal titles automatically. (The official palace succession list still refers to them as Master Archie and Miss Lilibet.)
Among the many jaw-dropping claims the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made in an interview with Oprah Winfrey last year was the allegation that Buckingham Palace planned to refuse Archie the title of prince — a decision that Meghan called hurtful and suggested was driven by institutional racism within the monarchy.
In another interview, Harry said he considered the term “Megxit” — which was coined after he and his wife announced in January 2020 they would be stepping back from their roles as senior members of the royal family and dividing their time between Britain and North America — “misogynistic.”
The prince and his wife have frequently highlighted the toll online hatred and misinformation can take on one’s emotional health and mental well-being.
A spokesperson for William said he invited his brother and sister-in-law to join him and Catherine in meeting mourners and looking at tributes in Windsor.
The couples spent just over 30 minutes talking with members of the public before leaving in a car driven by William, who became Prince of Wales after his father’s accession to the throne.
“The Waleses had always been scheduled to greet well-wishers at Windsor Castle, but royal sources say the decision to invite the Sussexes was made in the eleventh hour,” royal watcher Omid Scobie wrote on Twitter. “It is, without a doubt, a significant moment in the history of the relationship between the two brothers.”
Royal watcher Camilla Tominey said that in reaching out to Harry to join him on Saturday and “set the rift aside,” William — the next in line to the throne — has shown he is living by his grandmother’s example.
She described it as “one of the most remarkable walkabouts in modern royal history” and an episode that would make the late queen proud.
“Queen Elizabeth II famously said that it was “often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change,” Tominey wrote in Britain’s Telegraph newspaper.
Pannett reported from Sydney. Jennifer Hassan in London contributed to this report.
Royal family greet mourners gathered at Balmoral on day of the King’s accession – The Telegraph
- Royal family greet mourners gathered at Balmoral on day of the King’s accession The Telegraph
- Queen Elizabeth II death latest updates: Princess Anne and other royals visibly moved by Balmoral tributes New York Post
- Royal Family members return to Balmoral Castle after church service | AFP AFP News Agency
- King Charles III: royal family, including Anne, Andrew and Edward, greet wellwishers at Balmoral – live The Guardian
- Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, & Zara Tindall Arrive at Balmoral to Pay Respects to Their Grandmother Queen Elizabeth Town & Country
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Mourners throng Abe’s wake as his party secures sombre Japan election win
TOKYO/NARA, July 11 (Reuters) – Mourners streamed into a temple in Tokyo to pay their respects to Japan’s slain former premier Shinzo Abe on Monday, as his assassination overshadowed an election win for the ruling party he had dominated.
Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has the chance to cement his own power following Sunday’s election gains, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen were among the hundreds at Abe’s wake, three days after he was shot at an election rally.
A private funeral for Abe, who resigned in 2020 and was Japan’s longest-serving premier, is scheduled for Tuesday.
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“There is a profound sense of sorrow at his loss,” Yellen told reporters outside the temple, where she placed incense in Abe’s honour and greeted his family.
“Prime Minister Abe was a visionary leader and he strengthened Japan…I know that his legacy will live on,” she added.
Abe’s shooting shocked a nation where political violence and gun crime is rare.
The suspected killer, arrested at the scene and identified by police as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, believed Abe had promoted a religious group to which his mother made a “huge donation”, Kyodo news agency has said, citing investigators.
The Unification Church, a controversial group known for its mass weddings and devoted following, said on Monday the suspect’s mother was one of its members. read more
Neither Abe nor Yamagami were members of the church, said Tomihiro Tanaka, president of its Japan branch, adding that it would cooperate with police if asked to do so. read more
Reuters was not immediately able to contact Yamagami’s mother and could not determine whether she belonged to any other religious organisations.
SOMBRE VICTORY
In elections held on Sunday, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its ruling coalition partner extended their majority in the upper house of parliament. With a majority already in place in the lower house, what would have been a celebratory mood at LDP headquarters in usual circumstances turned sombre. read more
A moment of silence for Abe was offered in his memory, and Kishida’s face remained grim as he pinned rosettes next to winning candidates’ names on a board in a symbol of their victory.
Officials and mourners attend the vigil for late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, at Zojoji Temple, in Tokyo, Japan July 11, 2022. REUTERS/Issei Kato
Abe’s death has drawn condolences from leaders around the world, from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth to Chinese Premier Xi Jinping.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Kishida during a brief stopover on Monday to offer messages of support on behalf of President Joe Biden.
Vice President William Lai became Taiwan’s most senior official to visit Japan in five decades as he made a private trip to Tokyo to pay his respects. read more
At the wake, a line of black sedan cars, including several with diplomatic plates, dropped off dignitaries and family at Tokyo’s Zojoji temple, where the ex-premier’s body lay.
Dressed in black, some of those gathered mopped their brows as they queued beneath the steps leading to the temple in the sultry evening air.
A part of the temple was also open to members of the public who crowded in to lay flowers. “I feel so sad that a prime minister who dedicated himself for Japan died this way,” said Naoya Okamoto, a 28-year old who works in construction.
“He was the prime minister who demonstrated to the world a strong Japan once again.”
PARTY INFLUENCE
Abe remained influential in the LDP party even after he stepped down in 2020 citing ill health.
The LDP and its junior partner Komeito won 76 of the 125 seats contested in the chamber, up from 69 previously. The LDP alone won 63 seats, up from 55, to win a majority of the contested seats, though it fell short of a simple majority on its own.
With no elections set for another three years, Kishida, an Abe protege, now has an unusually long breathing space to attempt to implement his own agenda. That includes expanding defence spending and revising Japan’s pacifist constitution – a long-held dream of Abe’s. read more
Abe led the largest faction within the LDP, and analysts said his death could lead to potential turmoil within the party that might challenge Kishida’s control.
Kishida told a news conference that he would take up the difficult problems that Abe was not able to resolve, such as revising the constitution, adding that he hoped there could be discussions on the topic during the next session of parliament.
“We gained strength from voters for stable government of this nation,” Kishida told a news conference.
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Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama in Nara, and Chang-ran Kim, Mariko Katsumura, Kiyoshi Takenaka and Andrea Shalal in Tokyo; Writing by Elaine Lies, Simon Cameron-Moore and John Geddie; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Hugh Lawson
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Israeli police beat mourners at funeral of slain Palestinian journalist
JERUSALEM, May 13 (Reuters) – Israeli police officers charged at Palestinian mourners carrying the coffin of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on Friday, before thousands led her casket through Jerusalem’s Old City in an outpouring of grief and anger over her killing.
Packed around Abu Akleh’s coffin, dozens of Palestinians, some waving Palestinian flags and chanting, “with our soul and blood we will redeem you Shireen,” began walking toward the gates of St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Israeli police officers, in an apparent bid to stop them proceeding by foot rather than taking the coffin by car, burst through the courtyard gates and charged at the crowd, some beating pallbearers with batons and kicking them.
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At one point the group carrying her coffin backed against a wall and almost dropped the casket, recovering it just before one end hit the ground as stun grenades detonated.
The violent scenes, which lasted only minutes, added to Palestinian outrage over Abu Akleh’s killing, which has threatened to fuel violence that has surged since March.
Abu Akleh, who had covered Palestinian affairs and the Middle East for more than two decades, was shot while reporting on an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. read more
Palestinian authorities have described Abu Akleh’s killing as an assassination by Israeli forces. Israel’s government initially suggested Palestinian fire might have been to blame, but officials have also said they could not rule out it was Israeli gunfire that killed her.
Israeli police said a group of Palestinians outside the hospital, whom they described as rioters, had begun throwing stones at officers.
“The policemen were forced to act,” they added.
The White House found the images disturbing, press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, and U.S. officials will remain in close contact with Israeli and Palestinian authorities in the aftermath of Akleh’s funeral.
“Every family deserves to be able to lay their loved ones to rest in a dignified and unimpeded manner,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Egypt, Qatar and Al Jazeera condemned the police’s conduct. Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said the scenes were “very shocking” and the EU said it was appalled.
A few minutes after police intervened, Abu Akleh’s coffin was placed in a vehicle that headed toward the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin in Jerusalem’s Walled Old City, where the funeral ceremony proceeded peacefully.
Crowds of Palestinians lined the narrow alleyways of the Old City as the coffin was carried to the Mount Zion Cemetery nearby.
Her grave was covered in wreaths and the Palestinian flag draped over the grave cross as mourners surrounded it solemnly, paying tribute to Abu Akleh.
“We’re here because we are screaming for justice. Justice for Shireen Abu Akleh and justice for Palestine,” said one mourner, who did not want to be identified by name.
INVESTIGATIONS AND RAIDS
The Israeli military said on Friday that its initial investigation “concluded that it is not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire which hit and killed Ms. Abu Akleh.”
She may have been killed by shots fired by Palestinian militants shooting at Israeli military vehicles or been hit inadvertently by an Israeli soldier returning fire, it said.
The Palestinian Attorney General’s office issued a statement on Friday in which it said initial investigations have found that the sole source of gunfire in the area where Abu Akleh was hurt was Israeli.
In a statement, agreed by consensus on Friday, the 15-member U.N. Security Council strongly condemned the killing and called for an “immediate, thorough, transparent, and fair and impartial investigation.”
Israeli forces on Friday resumed raids on the outskirts of Jenin, where Abu Akleh was killed, and the Palestinian Health Ministry said 13 Palestinians had been wounded.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group meanwhile claimed responsibility for the death of an Israeli police officer in an exchange of gunfire in Jenin.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said events in Jerusalem and Jenin could push the sides into serious escalation.
Abu Akleh’s death has drawn widespread condemnation. Video footage from the moments after she was shot showed Abu Akleh, 51, wearing a blue vest marked “Press”.
At least two of her colleagues who were with her said that they had come under Israeli sniper fire and that they were not close to militants.
Israel, which has voiced regret at Abu Akleh’s death, has proposed a joint investigation with the Palestinians, asking them to provide the bullet for examination.
The Palestinians have rejected the Israeli request and have called for an international investigation.
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Reporting by Maayan Lubell and Rami Amichay in Jerusalem; Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Andrew Mills in Doha, Michelle Nichols in New York, Steve Holland and Jeff Mason in Washington and Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Jon Boyle, Alistair Bell and Himani Sarkar
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Israeli Police Attack Mourners at Shireen Abu Akleh’s Funeral: Latest Updates
JERUSALEM — Israeli police officers on Friday assaulted mourners at the funeral procession of a prominent Palestinian American journalist killed this week in the occupied West Bank, forcing pallbearers to nearly drop the coffin.
Video showed police officers in Jerusalem beating and kicking pallbearers carrying the coffin that contained the body of the journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, striking other mourners with batons, and forcing one man to the ground. During the commotion, the pallbearers were pushed backward, causing them to briefly lose control of one end of the coffin.
The incident happened outside a hospital in East Jerusalem, where mourners had gathered to take the coffin of Ms. Abu Akleh, who was a Christian, to a nearby church for her funeral.
It was one of several spasms of tension during a fraught afternoon, as riot police in several locations in East Jerusalem faced off against crowds of mourners waving Palestinian flags and chanting Palestinian slogans. Israel considers East Jerusalem part of its capital, but it is predominantly populated by Palestinians, and much of the international community considers it occupied territory.
The incident at the funeral procession lasted for roughly a minute, and followed a tense standoff between riot police and mourners in which at least one empty plastic bottle was thrown in the direction of the police.
The police then suddenly advanced on the coffin, swinging batons and aiming kicks at the mourners. As the police advanced, mourners threw projectiles, including what appeared to be a stick, and officers threw what appeared to be stun and smoke grenades.
In a statement, the Israeli police said they “took enforcement action” after some mourners began chanting “nationalist incitement” and after officers had given the crowd a warning. As the coffin was carried out of the hospital, police said, they were “forced to act” because “rioters began throwing stones toward the policemen.”
The police later distributed video showing an empty plastic bottle and two other bottle-shaped objects being thrown in the direction of the officers in the moments before they advanced on the pallbearers, and separate undated video showing several stones on the ground. There was no clear indication of when or how the stones had reached that spot.
Ms. Abu Akleh was shot dead on Wednesday morning in the occupied West Bank during an Israeli raid on the city of Jenin. Witnesses said she was killed by an Israeli soldier.
The Israeli Army said on Friday that while it was possible Ms. Abu Akleh was mistakenly killed by Israeli fire, its initial investigation suggested that she might also have been hit by a Palestinian gunman.
On Thursday, Israeli police warned Ms. Abu Akleh’s family about displaying “flags and slogans” at the funeral, said Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian member of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament.
At one point during the funeral a man holding up a wreath stood between the pallbearers and police. Later, as the black hearse carrying her coffin began to slowly make its way through the crowd, an Israeli police officer ripped three Palestinian flags off the vehicle and threw them to the ground, video showed.
Church bells throughout the Old City rang out as mourners chanted, “With our souls, with our blood, we sacrifice for you, Shireen.”
A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of Israel declined to comment, as did a spokesman for the Israeli public security minister, Omer Bar Lev, who oversees the police.
The funeral was attended by thousands of people and came a day after a state memorial service was held in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Mourners stood in the courtyard of the Palestinian Authority’s presidential headquarters to eulogize and bid farewell to a person considered by many Palestinians to be a trailblazing journalist.
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, awarded her the Star of Jerusalem, also known as the Quds Star. One of the highest honors the Palestinian president can bestow, it is traditionally awarded to ministers, ambassadors and members of Parliament. Mr. Abbas described Ms. Abu Akleh as a “martyr for truth and for the free word.”
She was later taken to be buried in Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery, next to her parents.
Hiba Yazbek contributed reporting from Nazareth, Israel, and Iyad Abu Hweila from Gaza City.