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LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that his victory in a confidence vote, when 41% of his lawmakers voted against him, was a convincing and decisive win that would enable the country to move on.

Having scored a sweeping election victory in 2019, the prime minister has been under mounting pressure after he and staff held alcohol-fuelled parties in his Downing Street office and residence when Britain was under strict COVID-19 lockdowns.

“I think it’s a convincing result, a decisive result and what it means is that as a government we can move on and focus on the stuff that I think really matters to people,” he told reporters.

“We can focus on what we’re doing to help people with the cost of living, what we’re doing to clear the COVID backlogs, what we’re doing to make streets and communities safer by putting more police out,” he said.

“It gives us the opportunity to continue to unite, to level up, and to strengthen our economy.”

He also said he was not interested in holding a snap national election, which some had suggested may be his next move to attempt to reassert his authority.

“I’m certainly not interested in snap elections, what I’m interested in is delivering right now for the people of this country,” he said.

(Reporting by William James and Farouq Suleiman; Editing by Kate Holton)

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By Matt Spetalnick and Dave Graham

WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The White House on Monday excluded Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from the U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas this week, prompting Mexico’s president to make good on a threat to skip the event because all countries in the Western Hemisphere were not invited.

The boycott by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and some other leaders could diminish the relevance of the summit in Los Angeles, where the United States aims to address regional migration and economic issues. U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, hopes to repair Latin America relations damaged under his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, reassert U.S. influence and counter China.

The decision to cut out Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua followed weeks of intense deliberations and was due to concerns about human rights and a lack of democracy in the three nations, a senior Biden administration official said on Monday.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a news briefing that the United States understands Mexico’s position, but that “one of the key elements of this summit is democratic governance, and these countries are not exemplars, to put it mildly, of democratic governance.”

Biden aides have been mindful of pressure from Republicans and some of the president’s fellow Democrats against appearing soft on America’s three main leftist antagonists in Latin America. Miami’s large Cuban American community, which favored Trump’ harsh policies toward Cuba and Venezuela, is seen as an important voting bloc in Florida in November elections that will decide control of the U.S. Congress.

Lopez Obrador told reporters at a regular news conference on Monday that Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard would attend the summit in his place. The Mexican president said he would meet with Biden in Washington next month, which the White House confirmed.

“There can’t be a Summit of the Americas if not all countries of the American continent are taking part,” Lopez Obrador said.

Lopez Obrador’s absence raises questions about the significance of summit discussions focused on curbing migration at the U.S. southern border, a priority for Biden, and could be a diplomatic embarrassment for the United States. A caravan of several thousand migrants, many from Venezuela, set off from southern Mexico early Monday aiming to reach the United States.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat and chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized the Mexican president in a statement, saying his “decision to stand with dictators and despots” would hurt U.S.-Mexico relations.

CUBA CRITICAL

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a right wing populist and Trump admirer who leads Latin America’s most populous country, will attend after initially flirting with staying away.

The exclusion of leftist-led Venezuela and Nicaragua had already been flagged in recent weeks. President Miguel Diaz-Canel of Communist-ruled Cuba said last month he would not go even if invited, accusing the United States of “brutal pressure” to make the summit non-inclusive.

In a critical statement on Monday, Cuba called the decision “discriminatory and unacceptable” and said the United States underestimated support in the region for the island nation.

The United States invited some Cuban civil society activists to attend the summit, but several said on social media that Cuban state security had blocked them from travel to Los Angeles to participate.

Having ruled out Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the Biden administration expects that representatives for opposition leader Juan Guaido will attend, State Department’s Price said on Monday. Price declined to say who might attend and whether it would be in person or virtually.

Washington recognizes Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate president, having condemned Maduro’s 2018 re-election as a sham.

Also barred from the summit is Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla who won a fourth consecutive term in November after jailing rivals.

Most leaders have signaled they will attend, but the pushback by leftist-led governments suggests many in Latin America are no longer willing to follow Washington’s lead as at times in the past.

(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick in Washington and Dave Graham in Mexico City; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Kylie Madry and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City, Jose Torres in Tapachula; and Dave Sherwood in Havana; Writing by Ted Hesson; Editing by Grant McCool and Alistair Bell)

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Controversy in Gaza over How Much ‘Axis of Resistance’ Helps Palestinian War Effort

Media greatly exaggerates the capacity and role of allies Iran, Syria and Hizbullah, professor says

[Gaza City] The fierce fighting during the May 2021 war fought between Hamas in Gaza and Israel was led in Gaza by a joint security room that included intelligence officers from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades – the military wing of Hamas, the Lebanese Hizbullah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

High-ranking Hamas commander Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, in his first-ever media appearance on the Al Jazeera investigative program “What is Hidden is Greater” made the revelation of the cooperation between Hamas and the “Axis of Resistance” composed of Iran, Syria and Hizbullah.

Some 260 Palestinians, including 66 children, were killed in Gaza, and one soldier and 14 civilians, including one child, were killed in Israel during last year’s 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Ibrahim al-Madhoun, the director of the Turkey-based Association for Palestine Communicators and Media (FIMED), believes that the level of coordination and communication among the parties in the Axis of Resistance, “especially between Hamas and Hizbullah, is increasingly growing.”

“Obviously, the joint operations room is in continuous session where there is direct communication and joint arrangement toward reinforcing fighters’ capability and supply mechanisms, in addition to sharing experiences and information in order to advance a comprehensive plan to confront any Israeli aggression, whether on Gaza or on Lebanon,” Madhoun told The Media Line.

Naim Qassem, the deputy secretary-general of Hizbullah, confirmed in an interview with Al-Aqsa TV in April that cooperation between Hamas and the Axis of Resistance is ongoing and “includes training, arming and transferring expertise.”

This cooperation is not limited to financial and military aid, but also includes intelligence support, Ibrahim Habib, professor of strategic and regional studies at Al-Awda University College in Gaza, told The Media Line.

“The Palestinian resistance factions benefit greatly from the joint security room at the intelligence level. It has become easier for the Palestinian resistance to conduct sensitive hacking operations knowing that the information it receives from Iran is reliable, as the latter owns a satellite that has several functions, including intelligence gathering and espionage,” he explained.

The Palestinian resistance factions “realize that it is not wise to disperse operational orders in case of military confrontations. Rather, it is better to focus on the goal and ensure an integrated flow of work. Therefore, all Palestinian factions, including Islamic Jihad, are part of the joint operations room,” Habib said.

He expects that, in the next stage, “we may witness joint cooperation on several fronts between the three parties [Hamas, Iran, Hizbullah] and perhaps more if other players join the alliance.”

Obviously, Israel is fully aware of the seriousness of this and is preparing for such scenarios, Habib noted.

Three weeks ago, the Israel Defense Forces began “Chariots of Fire,” its largest training exercise in decades. The four-week drill simulates a multifront and multidimensional war against Israel’s enemies in the air, at sea, on land and on the cyber front.

Sources on the ground say the Axis of Resistance alliance may become the most important factor on the political scene.

Ibrahim Ibrash, professor of political science at Azhar University and a former culture minister, believes that the reports of the Axis’ strength and power are inflated.

“There is a great exaggeration, made by media outlets such as Al Jazeera, in estimating the Axis of Resistance’s support of the Palestinian factions and of their capacities as well,” he told The Media Line.

“If it’s true [the claims of strength], then why didn’t the parties to the Axis of Resistance defend themselves when they were targeted by Israel many times?” Ibrash asked.

“The real question here is, when all red lines have been crossed, when will this Axis of Resistance react? Israel assassinated senior top officials in Iran, Syria and Lebanon, yet no response has been made. Israel is occupying the entire Palestinian land, declared Jerusalem its capital; Israeli settlers are constantly storming Al-Aqsa Mosque, illegal Israeli settlement, oppression and demolition of Palestinian homes continue until this very moment. When will they act? What are they waiting for?” he said.

According to Ibrash, Palestinians, mainly the Jerusalemites, are the ones actually defending Palestine and Jerusalem, and not the Axis of Resistance.

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3 Months Into Ukraine War, Israeli-Russian Commercial Relations Still Prosper

Despite a few cancellations, Israel remains the only Western country with no sanctions on Russian entities or capital

A Russian ballet performs in Tel Aviv, Russian products that bear the Russian flag can be found easily in Israeli supermarkets, Israel exports its vegetables to Russia, while Yango, part of the Russian giant Yandex Group, supplies Israelis with taxis and grocery deliveries.

Today Israel is the only Western country that does not exercise any sanctions against Russian entities or capital. However, financial limitations do exist. How has the war in Ukraine affected the trade between the two countries and how have the Jewish state’s communities of Russian speakers from Russia and Ukraine responded to it?

A taxi, a deli delivery, and a prewar image of Bucha

Commercials for Yango Deli – a new delivery service that enables a customer to get a quick supply of milk, bread, or any other product in a record time of just 15 minutes – were lately seen in many cities across Israel.

Yango, an abbreviation of Yandex Go, is an international brand of Yandex – the so-called Russian Google, a giant conglomerate that started as a search engine and now offers anything from taxis and scooters to shipping, deliveries, news, and data.

Yandex employs 450 people in Israel and according to recent publications in Russian and Israeli media, it is planning to relocate its headquarters to Israel and split the company into a Russian and an international division.

The European Union lately added Yandex’s Deputy CEO Tigran Khudaverdyan to its sanctions lists (he soon resigned from the company), while pro-Ukrainian activists and observers had noticed that the Yandex search engine only offers prewar images of Bucha, where massacres were allegedly carried out by the Russian military. Some Yandex officials resigned soon after this became public.

Denis Dlugach, an Israeli of Ukrainian origin and an activist with the nongovernmental organization Israeli Friends of Ukraine, told The Media Line the main issue with Yandex was that it manipulated the data, and consequently public opinion.

“People who want to find out the facts will not be able to do it through Yandex. It’s important that Israel understands what kind of company it lets into the country. They can put anything in their algorithms – no one will ever know – and it eases the task of manipulating public opinion. Also, they keep paying tax in Russia, and we know how this money is used by the Russian state,” he said.

Roman Bronfman, a businessman and a former member of Knesset who was born in Ukraine, warns of yet another problematic aspect.

“Personally, I stopped doing business with Russia back in 2014, yet I understand the market dependence when we talk about companies that are not involved in the military industry or weapon sales,” he told The Media Line. “But Yandex and its offshoots are busy with gathering information and data. It can compromise Israeli security and its activity here in Israel must stop at once.”

Bronfman called on Economy Minister Orna Barbivai to use her powers to halt Yandex’s activities in Israel.

In reply to an inquiry by The Media Line, the ministry spokesperson said, “The issue is not the responsibility of the Economy Ministry. The State of Israel does not restrict the activities of international companies that operate in accordance with the law.”

The Israeli government has so far avoided imposing sanctions on Russia or expressing criticism of Vladimir Putin’s regime, trying to keep up the balancing act between Moscow and Kyiv. The Russian oligarchs haven’t been sanctioned and their assets haven’t been seized, while many of the Russian billionaires of Jewish origin have immigrated to Israel.

While Europe, the US, Canada, and other Western countries are struggling with dependence on Russian oil and gas and expanding the existing sanctions, Russian-made products – from ice cream to cooking oil – can be found in most supermarkets across Israel, Russian artists (recently the Russian National Ballet Theatre) arrive to perform and Russian state TV channels such as Channel 1 continue to broadcast as usual.

A few concerts by Russian artists who support Putin were canceled due to pressure from pro-Ukraine activists, and this development triggered a furious debate between Israelis who support and object to this kind of activity.

“People should choose by themselves. That’s how it’s done in civilized states,” Marina Polinoski, a resident of Beersheba, wrote on Facebook. “Who gets to decide who will perform in Israel and who will not? The artists do not have to answer these questions, just to perform and make the audience happy.”

Hundreds of other Facebook users enthusiastically supported the cancellation of scheduled concerts of Grigory Leps, Elena Vaenga, and other Russian performers known for their support of Putin’s regime.

No credit insurance and a lot of uncertainty about the future

The value of trade between Israel and Russia reached some $3.5 billion in 2021, of which about $3.16 billion was in goods and about $350 million consisted of services, according to data from the Foreign Trade Administration in the Economy Ministry. The figures were up 52% from 2020.

According to the ministry, no official data can yet be published on exports and imports with Russia in 2022.

It was announced in March that Israel would not issue credit insurance to Israeli companies that maintained their business with Russia, but some continued to export and operate in Russia without this insurance.

Sources in the vegetable-producing sector told The Media Line there was much uncertainty regarding the continuation of cooperation with the Russian Federation, especially regarding the ability of Russian companies to transfer international payments.

At the same time, large Israeli high-tech firms such as Wix.com, Fiverr, Playtika, and Tipalti have suspended or pulled their commercial operations in Russia over Russian aggression in Ukraine.

More than 100 others – including Check Point, Tadiran, Gottex, Netafim, and Ahava – remain active in Russia. Also, as of today, the Israeli diamond industry continues to import rough stones from Russian state-owned Alrosa.

“Israel has been extremely careful about international financial affairs since Israeli banks operate around the world. The financial and insurance structures are very careful and mostly avoid doing business in Russia. Those who continue the trade, do it on their own responsibility,” Bronfman said.

Recently, David Davidovich, a business partner of Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich, sued Israel’s Bank Hapoalim after it blocked his account and credit card. Hapoalim replied that it acted in accordance with the British sanctions that were imposed on Davidovich in April. Some experts in Israel believe that Davidovich was acting as a frontman for Abramovich and so was the bank account.

Almost 100 days into the war, Israeli trade with Russia has probably slowed down due to international financial restrictions, difficulties in shipping, and so on. However, due to the lack of any Israeli sanctions or legislative base, many Israeli and Russian businesses continue as usual.

In the absence of basic data from the Economy Ministry for 2022, it’s hard to talk about the numbers, but it’s still easy to talk about the political aspects of commercial relations between the two countries: Israel is still reluctant to act against oligarchs, “Russian Google” and cooperation with state-run companies.

“This behavior is definitely a very serious exception to what has already become the rule in the West,” Bronfman says.

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By Pavel Polityuk and Max Hunder

KYIV (Reuters) – Russia hit Kyiv with cruise missiles fired from the Caspian Sea on Sunday, striking a rail car repair facility in the Ukrainian capital, in the first such attack for weeks, Ukraine’s army and the country’s railway chief said.

Dark smoke funnelled into the sky above Kyiv’s eastern outskirts. At least one person was hospitalised though no deaths were immediately reported, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Ukrainian air defences shot down one incoming missile at around 6 a.m. local time (0300 GMT), the military said.

Kyiv resident Kostyantyn Nikitenko, who lives near the repair facility, said that he immediately took shelter in his apartment’s corridor when he heard several powerful explosions around that time.

“Every 10-30 seconds the next explosions came. With every new explosion, it was more and more powerful, and I got the impression that it was getting closer and closer,” he said, adding that afterwards he saw a 100-metre column of black smoke emerging from behind a nearby building.

“There hasn’t been a strike on Kyiv in a while, and perhaps most people, including myself, developed a kind of illusion that the worst was behind us. But this was a reminder that the war is still going on,” Nikitenko said.

One Russian missile that was probably headed for Kyiv flew “critically low” over a major nuclear power plant in the southern Mykolaiv region, state-run nuclear power operator Energoatom said on Telegram. It later posted a video appearing to confirm its account. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its missiles had destroyed T-72 tanks and armoured vehicles supplied to Ukraine by eastern European countries housed in a rail car repair facility in Kyiv.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, head of the Ukrainian railway, confirmed that four missiles had smashed into the Darnytsia rail car repair facility in eastern Kyiv, but said there was no military hardware at the site.

“Their (Russia’s) target is the economy and the civilian population,” he said.

Moscow has denied targeting civilians in what it calls a “special military operation.”

The sprawling railway system has served as a vital lifeline as Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion has crippled the Ukrainian economy and severed export routes via the Black Sea.

The missiles were the first to hit the capital since late April when a Radio Liberty producer was killed in a Russian strike that hit the building she lived in.

“According to preliminary data, the (Russians) launched missiles from Tu-95 aircraft from the Caspian Sea,” the Ukrainian air force said in a statement.

Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak called on the West to impose more sanctions on Russia to punish it for the strikes and to supply more weapons to Ukraine.

“The Kremlin resorts to new insidious attacks. Today’s missile strikes at Kyiv have only one goal – kill as many as possible,” he wrote in a tweet.

The mayor of the historic town of Brovary, around 20 km (12 miles) from Kyiv’s centre, urged people to remain inside their homes as there had been reports of a sooty smell coming from the smoke.

Air raid sirens regularly disrupt life in Kyiv, but there have been no major strikes on the city in several weeks after Moscow turned the focus of its invasion to the east and south.

The Darnytskyi district on the left bank of the Dnipro River stretches from the fringes of Kyiv to the river’s shores while the Dniprovskyi area in the city’s north lies along the river.

Oleksandr Honcharenko, mayor of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region in the east, reported overnight strikes on the city, resulting in widespread damage but no casualties.

(Writing by Lidia Kelly and Tom Balmforth; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Tomasz Janowski)

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By Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) -Firefighters worked for a second day on Sunday to extinguish a massive blaze that killed at least 49 people at a container depot in southeast Bangladesh, the latest incident highlighting the country’s poor industrial safety track record.

The fire that also injured more than 200 broke out at the shipping container facility on Saturday night at Sitakunda, 40 km (25 miles) from the port city of Chittagong, triggering a huge blast and multiple container explosions, officials said.

Chemical-filled containers were still exploding on Sunday as firefighters attempted to douse the fire and officials said the army had joined the mission. Drone footage showed thick columns of smoke and rows of burnt-out containers.

Explosions had shaken the neighbourhood and shattered windows in nearby buildings, local residents said.

The death toll could rise as some of the injured are in a critical condition and rescue operations are still continuing, said Chittagong civil surgeon Mohammed Elias Hossain. The injured included firefighters and policemen, he said.

He said all doctors in the district had been called in to help tackle the situation, while social media was flooded with appeals for emergency blood donations.

Five firefighters had died and at least 50 others, including 10 policemen, were injured, he added.

Hundreds of distraught relatives rushed from one hospital to another in a frantic search for their loved ones, witnesses said.

“I lost my brother,” Shakhawat Hossain, cousin of Afzal Hossain, 25, who died in the fire, said. “His father died 10 months ago. He was the youngest but he was the only one who took care of his mother … she has been fainting again and again. Nothing can console her.”

MORE EXPLOSIONS

It was not immediately clear what had caused the blaze. Fire service officials said they suspected it may have originated in a container of hydrogen peroxide and spread quickly to other containers.

Newton Das, a fire service official, said there were still explosions on Sunday afternoon of containers containing hydrogen peroxide and others containing sulphur. “It’s really getting harder as toxic fumes engulfed the area,” he said.

Bangladesh has prospered over recent decades to become the world’s second-biggest exporter of garments, but the infrastructure and institutional focus for industrial safety is still nascent, the International Labour Organization said earlier this year.

Lax regulations and poor enforcement of rules have been blamed for several large fires that have led to hundreds of deaths in recent years.

In 2020, three people were killed after an oil tank exploded at a container depot in Chittagong’s Patenga area, while in July last year, 54 died when an inferno ripped through a food processing factory outside the capital Dhaka.

At least 70 died in a fire that engulfed several buildings in a centuries-old neighbourhood of Dhaka in 2019.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by David Holmes)

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LONDON (Reuters) -Queen Elizabeth said on Sunday she had been “humbled and deeply touched” by the number of people coming out to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee at the conclusion of four days of festivities to mark her 70 years on the British throne.

Tens of thousands of people have attended street parties or cheered on parades through central London, while millions watched a pop concert outside Buckingham Palace which was broadcast on live television.

In her message to the nation, she thanked the public for their good wishes and the role they had played.

“When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee,” she said in a statement.

The queen herself has been forced to miss a number of the major events due to mobility problems, but was able to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave to cheering crowds at the finale of celebrations on Sunday.

“While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family,” she said.

“I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.”

(Reporting by Michael Holden. Editing by Jane Merriman and Kate Holton)

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(Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian artillery hit an early 17th century Ukrainian Orthodox monastery in war-torn eastern Ukraine on Saturday, engulfing its main church in flames.

Russia’s Defence Ministry denied involvement, accusing Ukrainian troops of setting fire to the All Saints Monastery before pulling back.

The Svyatohirsk Lavra monastery complex belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and lies near Russian positions in eastern Donetsk, one of two regions that the Kremlin is focused on capturing.

Flames could be seen ripping through the timber walls of a church with onion domes in footage posted by Zelenskiy on his official Telegram channel. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the footage.

“Russian artillery struck the Svyatohirsk Lavra in the Donetsk region again today. Destroyed All Saints Monastery. It was consecrated in 1912. It was first destroyed during the Soviet era. Later it was rebuilt to be burned by the Russian army,” the Ukrainian leader wrote.

Zelenskiy called for Russia to be expelled from the United Nations’ cultural agency UNESCO and said there had been no military targets present at the site.

“Every church burned by Russia in Ukraine, every school blown up, every destroyed memorial proves that Russia has no place in UNESCO.”

Two monks and a nun were killed at the site in shelling on June 1.

Russia denies targeting civilians. It describes its actions in Ukraine as a special military operation.

The Svyatohirsk Lavra monastic settlement dates back to 1627. The All Saints Monastery was built from timber in 2009 to replace the one destroyed in 1947.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which remained loyal to Moscow after a 2019 schism, said last month that it would break with Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Tom Balmforth and Ros Russell)

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By Michael Holden and Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) -Queen Elizabeth’s son and heir Prince Charles and her grandson Prince William will pay tribute to the record-breaking monarch at a pop concert at Buckingham Palace on the third day of nationwide celebrations for her 70 years on the throne.

The “Party at the Palace”, which will feature the likes of singers Alicia Keys and Diana Ross, is the main Platinum Jubilee event on Saturday, along with the Epsom Derby horse race.

The 96-year-old monarch, a huge horse-racing fan and owner of many thoroughbreds, was herself forced to skip the 243rd running of the Derby because of “episodic mobility problems” that also forced her to miss a thanksgiving service in her honour on Friday.

Her daughter Princess Anne, who competed in the three-day equestrian event in the 1976 Olympics, stood in for her mother, who has rarely missed the race during her record-breaking reign and watched on television from her Windsor Castle home.

Later on Saturday, Charles and his eldest son William, fated to follow his father as king, will make speeches at the palace concert where performers from around the world will entertain some 22,000 people. The queen herself had not been expected to attend.

Also appearing will be rock band Queen + Adam Lambert and singer Rod Stewart, and it will feature a specially recorded performance by Elton John.

Queen guitarist Brian May, who played the national anthem from the roof of the palace at a concert for Elizabeth’s golden jubilee in 2002, hinted at another memorable moment.

“Then there was a moment when I wondered … after Buckingham Palace roof where can you go? Well …, you will see,” he said.

Another participant, veteran U.S. musician and record producer Nile Rodgers, said he had no idea what he would be playing.

“I look at it like this – whatever the queen asked me to do or her representatives or whatever, I will do that,” he told BBC TV.

LILIBET’S BIRTHDAY

Four days of celebrations to mark the monarch’s 70 years on the throne began with a military parade, a Royal Air Force flypast, and the lighting of beacons across Britain and the world, with tens of thousands of people joining the festivities.

During Friday’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell used a horse racing analogy in his sermon to pay tribute to the queen.

“Your Majesty, we are sorry that you’re not here with us this morning, but we are so glad that you are still in the saddle,” he said. “And we are glad that there is still more to come. So thank you for staying the course.”

A sideshow to the main celebrations has been Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan making their first public appearance together in Britain since quitting official duties to move to Los Angeles two years ago, during which time their relationship with other royals has become strained.

Notably on Saturday, the official Twitter accounts for the monarch, Charles and William all sent messages almost simultaneously to mark the first birthday of Lilibet, the couple’s daughter who is named after the queen.

Elizabeth had not met her great-granddaughter prior to the trip, and Buckingham Palace has not commented on newspaper reports they had now finally been introduced.

Harry and Meghan have become divisive figures, with supporters regarding them as a breath of fresh air for the tradition-bound monarchy, while critics and many newspapers pour scorn on their behaviour and commercial activities such as striking a deal with global streaming service Netflix.

“So Far Apart”, the Daily Mail newspaper said on its front page about the lack of any obvious interaction between Harry and elder brother William at Friday’s thanksgiving service.

(Reporting by Michael HoldenEditing by Helen Popper and Mark Potter)

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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian security forces on Friday arrested a young man following an assault on a top provincial cleric in the central city of Isfahan, Iranian media reported. The cleric appeared unharmed in a video broadcast after the attack.

According to the semiofficial Fars news agency, the unidentified man accosted prayer leader Yousef Tababaeinejad as he was talking with some worshipers after Friday prayers and attempted to stab him in the neck with a “sharp metal object.”

The report said mosque guards quickly detained the him and added that the case is under investigation.

A video on Iranian media later showed Tababaeinejad speaking to a reporter afterward and saying the assailant seemed to be a young man, in his 20s.

Such attacks are uncommon in Iran though in the early 1980s, clerics were targeted by armed opposition groups, mostly during or after Friday prayers. Over the past months, there have been chants against clerics during protest gatherings in Iran over price hikes and the slashing of subsidies by the government.

In early April, a stabbing attack in the revered Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad killed three clerics — a rare act of violence at the major pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims.

Tababaeinejad, a hard-line cleric appointed by the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is known as a vocal opponent of social media and music, saying they are part of the West’s software war against Islamic beliefs.

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