World says final goodbyes as Queen Elizabeth laid to rest after state funeral | Canada News Media
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World says final goodbyes as Queen Elizabeth laid to rest after state funeral

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LONDON — The queen who ruled the United Kingdom and served as Canada’s head of state for seven decades was carried to her final resting place on Monday after a grand state funeral attended by world leaders and watched by everyday people across the globe.

Thousands of mourners packed the streets of London to get one last look at the queen’s flag-draped coffin, topped with the Imperial State Crown, sparkling with almost 3,000 diamonds, and the sovereign’s orb and sceptre. They lined the roads on the way to Windsor Castle, where she was reunited with her parents and buried next to Philip, her husband of nearly 74 years.

On Monday morning, a bell tolled 96 times — once for each year of the queen’s life — to mark the start of the United Kingdom’s first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s. Royal Navy sailors drew the gun carriage carrying the late queen’s coffin to Westminster Abbey, with the queen’s son, King Charles III, and his sons, Princes William and Harry, walking behind as bagpipers played.

“Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer,” the dean of the medieval abbey, David Hoyle, told mourners.

In his sermon, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby paid tribute to the queen’s “loving service,” her religious faith and her ability to touch lives. Near the end, he quoted a song by Vera Lynn and echoed the closing words of the queen’s 2020 address to the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic: “We will meet again.”

The massive Gothic cathedral fell dead silent as two minutes of silence were observed in the abbey and throughout the U.K. Afterwards, the King stood in silence as the 2,000 or so members of the congregation, including his wife and family, sang “God Save the King.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, officially led the Canadian delegation that was ushered into the church in the hours before the funeral got underway.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and her husband sat a few rows behind the King and other senior royals, while a procession of decorated Canadians — including the holders of the Victoria Cross, George Cross and Orders of Chivalry — walked through the church on the way to their seats. Order of Canada holders actress Sandra Oh, Olympian Mark Tewksbury and performing artist Gregory Charles walked near the front of the procession.

Canada’s delegation also included former governors general Michaëlle Jean and David Johnston, as well as former prime ministers Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper.

After the funeral, King Charles and the queen’s other children, grandchildren and young great-grandchildren accompanied the coffin on a military procession from Westminster Abbey as crowds of people, many of whom had been camped out for days, stood in respectful silence.

Members of the RCMP rode horses near the front of the procession that also included uniformed armed forces members from Canada and around the Commonwealth. A handful of the queen’s relatives who have served in the military were among those in uniform for the procession, while others were dressed in black, like many of the dignitaries who attended the service.

Lt.-Col. Ryan Hartman, a soldier from Ottawa, said after the event that getting to attend the service and march in the procession was “surreal.”

“I find myself having the honour of sitting with kings and queens and heads of state and people of significance,” said Hartman, who is commanding officer of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. “It was humbling.”

Hours after the service, he said he was still processing what it meant.

“It’s something I will take away and never, ever forget,” he said. “I want to take this back to my family and my children.”

Lt.-Col. Drew Beauchamp, a member of the Calgary Highlanders, said he was moved by the number of people who lined the routes “to get one last look at Her Majesty.”

“From the looks on their faces, there was a lot of deep sorrow, deep reflection,” he said.

The queen, he said, was not only a leader and a veteran, but “an exceptional woman and someone who devoted her life to service,” he said.

The procession slowly made its way past major landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, where the queen lived throughout her reign. The toll of bells rang out through the streets that were mostly silent aside from the sounds of the ceremonial march.

Farther away, outside the barricades, a booming gun salute from Hyde Park echoed in the streets, while the distant sound of a military band drifted down to those trying to find a way in or gathering around screens set up in public squares.

The last leg of the queen’s final journey saw her transferred to a hearse on the way to Windsor Castle, where she was to be buried near St George’s Chapel.

People applauded as the hearse arrived at the castle and passed in a procession through the estate. The procession passed by one of the queen’s saddled Fell ponies and two of her pet corgis, in a nod to her well-known love of animals.

The state funeral marked the culmination of 10 days of tributes and mourning following the queen’s death on Sept. 8 at the age of 96.

Dignitaries and everyday mourners alike have poured into London in recent days to pay tribute to the U.K.’s longest-reigning monarch and Canada’s most long-standing head of state.

In London, an entire park near Buckingham Palace was filled with floral tributes, while people at one point were waiting up to 24 hours in line for a chance to view the queen’s casket at her lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.

Tim Thompson of Fredericton was among the members of the public who camped out for the procession. He had set up a tent on the flag-lined road leading to Buckingham Palace early Sunday morning to ensure he would get a good view.

As a military member with the Cadet Instructors Cadre, he said it was worth spending a night out in the cold in order to pay his respects to Canada’s former commander-in-chief and head of state.

While the event is a sad one, he said he was proud and happy to see different nations come together to mourn the queen.

“We have a shared grief that we’re going through, so it’s nice to see that camaraderie between Canadians, Australians and British people,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2022.

 

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

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Bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on

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NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin topped $98,000 for the first time Thursday, extending a streak of record after record highs since the U.S. presidential election. The cryptocurrency has rocketed more than 40% in just two weeks.

Now, bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000, just two years after dropping below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. The recent, dramatic rally arrives as industry players expect the incoming Trump administration to bring a more “crypto-friendly” approach toward regulating the digital currency.

Bitcoin traded as high as $98,349 early Thursday, according to CoinDesk, and was slightly below that level at 1:25 p.m. ET.

As with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is impossible to know. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks.

Here’s what you need to know.

Back up. What is cryptocurrency again?

Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now. But, chances are, you’ve heard about it more and more over the last few years.

In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it’s typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain.

Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like ethereum, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money — but it can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions.

Why is bitcoin soaring?

A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

Crypto industry players have welcomed Trump’s victory, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for — which, generally speaking, aim for an increased sense of legitimacy without too much red tape.

Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, recently pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies.

How of this will actually pan out — and whether or not Trump will successfully act quickly on these promises — has yet to be seen.

“This is not necessarily a short-term story, it’s likely a much longer-term story,” Citi macro strategist David Glass told The Associated Press last week. “And there is the question of how quickly can U.S. crypto policy make a serious impact on (wider adoption).”

Adam Morgan McCarthy, a research analyst at Kaiko, thinks the industry is craving “just some sort of clarity.” Much of the approach to regulating crypto in the past has been “enforcement based,” he notes, which has been helpful in weeding out some bad actors — but legislation might fill in other key gaps.

Gary Gensler, who as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission under President Joe Biden has led a U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry, penalized a number of crypto companies for violating securities laws. Gensler announced Thursday that he would step down as SEC chair on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.

Despite crypto’s recent excitement around Trump, McCarthy said that 2024 has already been a “hugely consequential year for regulation in the U.S.” — pointing to January’s approval of spot bitcoin ETFs, for example, which mark a new way to invest in the asset.

Spot ETFs have been the dominant driver of bitcoin for some time now — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection. According to Kaiko, bitcoin ETFs recorded $6 billion in trade volume for the week of the election alone.

In April, bitcoin also saw its fourth “halving” — a preprogrammed event that impacts production by cutting the reward for mining, or the creation of new bitcoin, in half. In theory, if demand remains strong, some analysts say this “supply shock” can also help propel the price long term. Others note it may be too early to tell.

What are the risks?

History shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you’ve made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, during high demand for technology assets, but later crashed during an aggressive series of Federal Reserve rate hikes. And in late 2022 collapse of FTX significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall, with bitcoin falling below $17,000.

Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs. But experts still stress caution, especially for small-pocketed investors. And lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could mean less guardrails.

While its been a big month for crypto — and particularly bitcoin, which McCarthy notes has set record highs for ten of the last 21 days — there’s always risk for “correction,” or seeing prices fluctuate back down some. Some assets may also have more restrictions than others.

“I would say, keep it simple. And don’t take on more risk than you can afford to,” McCarthy said — adding that there isn’t a “magic eight ball” to know for certain what comes next.

What about the climate impact?

Assets like bitcoin are produced through a process called “mining,” which consumes a lot of energy. Operations relying on pollutive sources have drawn particular concern over the years.

Recent research published by the United Nations University and Earth’s Future journal found that the carbon footprint of 2020-2021 bitcoin mining across 76 nations was equivalent to the emissions from burning 84 billion pounds of coal or running 190 natural gas-fired power plants. Coal satisfied the bulk of bitcoin’s electricity demands (45%), followed by natural gas (21%) and hydropower (16%).

Environmental impacts of bitcoin mining boil largely down to the energy source used. Industry analysts have maintained that clean energy has increased in use in recent years, coinciding with rising calls for climate protections



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Transgender community gathers in remembrance, opposition to Alberta legislation |

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Members of Edmonton’s transgender community and their loved ones gathered to mark the international Transgender Day of Remembrance where they held candles and mourned for transgender people who have recently died from violence or suicide. In Alberta, the gathering was also about opposing proposed legislation in the province. (Nov. 21, 2024)



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Canadian basketball player Chad Posthumus dead at 33 after brain aneurysm

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WINNIPEG – Canadian basketball player Chad Posthumus, a founding member of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, died Wednesday. He was 33.

The CEBL’s Winnipeg Sea Bears said Thursday that Posthumus, the team’s captain, suffered a brain aneurysm during a training session in Winnipeg on Nov. 9.

He then battled complications from a corrective surgery that left him in critical condition in the intensive care unit and did not recover.

Posthumus, a Winnipeg native, played for the CEBL’s Saskatchewan Rattlers, Ottawa BlackJacks, Edmonton Stingers and Brampton Honey Badgers before joining his hometown team.

He also played for teams in Argentina and Japan.

Internationally, the six-foot-11 Posthumus played for the 3×3 national team, representing Canada at the 3×3 AmeriCup in 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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