News
How the world is reacting to Prince Philip, husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II
Leaders
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave a short speech on Friday, remembering Prince Philip “for his steadfast support for Her Majesty the Queen, not just as her consort, by her side, every day of her reign, but as her husband, her strength and stay of more than 70 years.”
“And it is to Her Majesty, and her family, that our nation’s thoughts must turn today,” Johnson said.
The White House tweeted a statement from President Biden, saying: “Prince Philip’s legacy will live on not only through his family, but in all the charitable endeavors he shaped. Jill and I are keeping the Queen and Prince Philip’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the people of the United Kingdom in our hearts during this time.”
Speaking at the White House later, Mr. Biden offered his condolences to the queen and her family, and said of Prince Philip, “He was a heckuva guy. … His lifetime of service to the United Kingdom and the whole commonwealth was visible to everybody for a long, long time. And his bravery, serving in WWII, as well as his being champion of the environment, as well as the charitable things he set up. So, we really do express our condolences for an extraordinary life that was led by the prince.”
He added, “Ninety-nine years old and he never slowed down at all. … I admire the devil out of him.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also offered words of praise for the prince. “Whether he was promoting environmentalism or the wellbeing of military families, he brought a profound sense of purpose to all he did,” she said in a statement.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Prince Philip will always be remembered in her country for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award. “In over fifty years of The Award in New Zealand, thousands of young people have completed life-changing challenges through the programme,” Ardern said. The youth achievement award gives opportunities to young people between 14 and 24 to learn new skills and give back to their communities.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted about Prince Philip, saying he was a “man of great purpose and conviction, who was motivated by a sense of duty to others, Prince Philip contributed so much to the social fabric of our country — and the world.”
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, said he was “always struck by [Prince Philip’s] obvious joy at life, his enquiring mind and his ability to communicate to people from every background and walk of life.”
“He was a master at putting people at their ease and making them feel special,” Welby said.
Former President George W. Bush also released a statement on Prince Philip, saying he and former first lady Laura Bush were saddened by the news. “Throughout his long and remarkable life, he devoted himself to worthy causes and to others. He represented the United Kingdom with dignity and brought boundless strength and support to the sovereign. Laura and I are fortunate to have enjoyed the charm and wit of his company, and we know how much he will be missed,” Mr. Bush said.
Former President Donald Trump called Prince Philip “a man who embodied the noble soul and proud spirit of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.”
“Over the past few years, Melania and I were honored to have the opportunity to visit the United Kingdom,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “We saw firsthand how the Monarchy epitomizes and carries on the virtues of the British People—and no one did so more than Prince Philip.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, and President of Ireland Michael Higgins also tweeted statements and condolences.
Public figures
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, added a tribute to Harry’s grandfather to the homepage of their website, Archwell. “In loving memory of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh 1921-2021,” the simple message read. “Thank you for your service…You will be greatly missed.”
British TV personality Carol Jean Vorderman shared two black and white photos of Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth II – one when they were young, and a more recent shot. “I went for a private lunch with The Queen at Buckingham Palace quite a few years ago,” she wrote on Instagram. “They were both in their 80s and Prince Philip and she were flirting with each other madly and laughing. Theirs was a love and a marriage of more than 73 years. Deepest condolences Ma’am.”
Many others remembered Philip as the beloved husband of the queen, sharing old photographs of the couple and their children.
Prince Philip through the years29 PHOTOS
“Extremely sad day. HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh has passed away aged 99. His service to our Queen and Country was remarkable. Our longest serving consort in British History,” wrote golfer Ian Poulter.
British singer and actress Elaine Page tweeted: “My deepest condolences to HM Queen Elizabeth II, who has lost her husband, confidant & life partner and to his children, grandchildren & all of the royal family. HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh RIP.”
Former “Star Trek” actor George Takei tweeted: “My heartfelt condolences to the royal family in this time of grief, and especially to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has spent a lifetime by her Prince Phillip.”
TV personality Piers Morgan tweeted about Prince Philip, calling him “an absolute rock of devoted support to Her Majesty, The Queen.”
Journalist Aaron Rupar remembered Prince Philip as a veteran. “Prince Philip served in the Royal Navy from the beginning to end of World War 2. There are so few veterans of that war left — the youngest are now about 94 years old,” he tweeted.
Liverpool FC also honored Philip, writing on Twitter: “As a mark of respect, Liverpool Football Club will mark the passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, by flying club flags at half-mast.”
Former Spice Girl member Geri Horner tweeted about the duke, saying she was, “Thinking of Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family at this time.”
Virgin Group founder Richard Branson honored Prince Philip’s “lifetime of public service.”
“My thoughts are with the Queen and all of the Royal Family,” he wrote.
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The crash site of the helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has been located, Iranian state news agency IRNA and semi-official news outlet ISNA reported on Monday.
The helicopter crashed in a remote part of the country on Sunday.
As president of Iran, Raisi is the second most powerful individual in the Islamic Republic’s political structure after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini. He became president in a historically uncompetitive election in 2021, and he has overseen a period of intensified repression of dissent in a nation convulsed by youth-led protests against religious clerical rule.
The crash comes at a fraught moment in the Middle East, with war raging in Gaza and weeks after Iran launched a drone-and-missile attack on Israel in response to a deadly strike on its diplomatic compound in Damascus.
As the sun rose Monday, Raisi and the others on board remained missing more than 12 hours after the likely crash, with Turkish drone footage suggesting the helicopter went down in the mountains. Rescuers rushed to the site.
The incident comes as Iran under Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month and has enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.
Iran has also faced years of mass protests against its Shiite theocracy over an ailing economy and women’s rights — making the moment that much more sensitive for Tehran and the future of the country as the Israel-Hamas war inflames the wider Middle East.
Raisi was traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. State TV said what it called a “hard landing” happened near Jolfa, a city on the border with the nation of Azerbaijan, some 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran. Later, state TV put it farther east near the village of Uzi, but details remained contradictory.
Traveling with Raisi were Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and other officials and bodyguards, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. One local government official used the word “crash,” but others referred to either a “hard landing” or an “incident.”
Neither IRNA nor state TV offered any information on Raisi’s condition in the hours afterward.
Early Monday morning, Turkish authorities released what they described as drone footage showing what appeared to be a fire in the wilderness that they “suspected to be wreckage of helicopter.” The coordinates listed in the footage put the fire some 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border on the side of a steep mountain.
News
‘I’ll bring my plane… I plan on keeping it for another four years’ – Biden on second debate with Trump
President Biden and former President Trump agreed to hold a second debate Sept. 10 hosted by ABC News.
The two candidates had already accepted an invitation earlier Wednesday to attend a CNN debate on June 27, and both confirmed later in the day on social media that they plan to attend the ABC debate in September.
“I’ve also received and accepted an invitation to a debate hosted by ABC on Tuesday, September 10th,” Biden posted on the social platform X. “Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years.”
Biden, of course, is referring to the presidential jet, Air Force One.
“It is my great honor to accept the CNN Debate against Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST PRESIDENT in the History of the United States and a true Threat to Democracy, on June 27th,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Likewise, I accept the ABC News Debate against Crooked Joe on September 10th.”
It marked a whirlwind few hours that started with Biden’s campaign publicly proposing two deabtes in June and September and ended with both candidates agreeing to a date and host.
ABC News had planned to host a GOP primary debate in New Hampshire, but it was canceled after Trump and Nikki Haley said they would not attend. Martha Raddatz of ABC co-moderated one of the 2016 presidential debates; the network did not host a debate in 2020.
The candidates have chosen to go around the Commission on Presidential Debates, the organization that has arranged the showdowns dating back to 1988.
Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon suggested working with outlets that hosted GOP primary debates in 2016 and Democratic primary debates in 2020 to avoid any perceptions of bias.
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Women Affairs says it is investigating a plan by a lawmaker in central Niger state to marry off some 100 female orphans of unknown ages later this month.
Speaker of the Niger State Assembly Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji announced the mass wedding last week but called off the ceremony following widespread outrage.
Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned the plans.
Kennedy-Ohanenye said she had petitioned the police and filed a lawsuit to stop the marriages pending an investigation to ascertain the age of the orphans and whether they consented to the marriages.
“This is totally unacceptable by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and by the government” of Nigeria, she said.
Last week, Sarkin-Daji announced his support for the mass wedding of the orphans, whose relatives were killed during attacks by armed bandits. He said it was part of his support to his constituents following an appeal for wedding funding by local traditional and religious leaders.
The mass wedding had been scheduled for May 24.
“That support I intend to give for the marriage of those orphans, I’m withdrawing it,” he said. “The parents can have the support [money], if they wish, let them go ahead and marry them off. As it is right now, I’m not threatened by the action of the minister.”
Despite national laws prohibiting it, forced or arranged marriage is a common phenomenon in Nigeria, especially among rural communities in the predominantly Muslim north, where religious and cultural norms such as polygamy favor the practice.
Poor families often use forced marriage to ease financial pressure, and the European Union Agency for Asylum says girls who refuse could face repercussions such as neglect, ostracism, physical assault and rape.
Raquel Kasham Daniel escaped being married off as a teenager when her father died and now runs a nonprofit helping children, especially less-privileged girls, get a formal education for free.
She said the ability of women to avoid forced marriage in Nigeria depends on their income and education.
“I was 16 when I lost my dad and I was almost married off, but then I ran away from home. And that gave me the opportunity to complete my education, and now I have a better life,” Daniel said.
“So, the reason why I prioritize education is to make sure that other girls have access to quality schooling so that it will help them make informed decisions about their lives. Education not only increases our awareness as girls about our rights but also enhances our prospects for higher income earning,” she said.
Thirty percent of girls in Nigeria are married before they turn 18, according to Girls Not Brides, a global network of more than 1,400 civil society groups working to end child marriage.
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