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King Charles undergoes cancer treatment
On Monday, King Charles III revealed he is battling cancer and will step back from public duties while undergoing treatment. The palace has not disclosed the type of cancer.
Charles became king in September 2022 following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled for seven decades.
Breaking tradition: The royals are famously discreet when it comes to health matters. Charles’ grandfather George VI had his lung removed for supposed “structural abnormalities” that were actually carcinoma. George’s doctors withheld his diagnosis from the public and even the king himself.
In contrast, Charles has been open about his surgery for an enlarged prostate – which reportedly encouraged more Brits to seek checkups – and divulged his cancer treatment “to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”
His eldest son and heir, William, has said he is resuming his public engagements – following his wife’s recent abdominal surgery – while his father is in treatment. Meanwhile, his estranged son, Harry, is returning to the UK to be with his father.
10 images that captured 2023
With 2023 in our rearview mirror, here are some of the images that defined the tumultuous year: from Fulton County, Georgia to Gaza City,
Feb. 5: Spy Balloon Downed
Credit: Sipa USA via Reuters
Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023.
Feb. 10: Earthquake shakes Turkey and Syria
Credit: Umit Bektas/Reuters
An aerial view shows damaged and collapsed buildings in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey February 10, 2023.
March 23: France protests pension changes
Credit: Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Reuters
Riot policemen stands amid clouds of tear gas as more than 70,000 people protest in Toulouse against French President Emmanuel Macron’s attempt to raise the national retirement age and change pension benefits. March 23th 2023.
May 6: King Charles III coronated
Credit: Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS
King Charles III waves as he leaves the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, following his coronation, May 6, 2023.
Jun. 7: Canadian wildfires
Credit: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
People ride bicycles at 6th Avenue as haze and smoke caused by wildfires in Canada blanket New York City, New York, U.S., June 7, 2023.
Aug. 24: Trump mugshot
Credit: Reuters
Former U.S. President Donald Trump in a police booking mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, August 24, 2023.
Sept. 25: Milei’s chainsaw
Credit: REUTERS/Cristina Sille
Argentine presidential candidate Javier Milei holds a chainsaw next to Carolina Piparo, candidate for Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires, during a campaign rally, in Buenos Aires, Argentina September 25, 2023.
Oct. 7: Noa Argamani kidnapped
Nova music festival attendee Noa Argamani reaches out to her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, as they are kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023.
Oct. 9: Gaza’s children bombed
Credit: IMAGO/Medhat Hajjaj/apaimages via Reuters
A child at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City rests after surgery, having been wounded in an Israeli attack. October 9, 2023.
Oct 23: Afghanistan's historic Cricket World Cup win
Credit: ANI via Reuters
Hashmatullah Shahidi celebrates Afghanistan's victory against Pakistan. Oct 23, 2023
What will 2024 bring? Make sure to subscribe to the GZERO Daily newsletter to keep up.
Hard Numbers: Ditch the monarchy, eh?, we’re #2! , here comes Hurricane Lee, Ontario housing boom falls short
63: Barely one year into the reign of King Charles III – who is technically the king of Canada – 63% of Canadians say it’s time to rethink ties with the British crown. That’s up seven percentage points from March. And just over half of Canadians agreed with the statement that “we have to get rid of” the monarchy altogether.
2: The US News and World Report ranked Canada the No. 2 country in the world after Switzerland according to an array of lifestyle metrics. It may be hard for Canadians to miss out on the top spot — but the US isn’t even on the podium, coming in at fifth place.
90: Hurricane Lee is churning up the Atlantic with maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour, and is expected to strike Canada’s Atlantic provinces and New England over the weekend. Warm waters worsened by climate change and an El Niño event are driving a particularly harsh hurricane season, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now predicting up to 21 storms this year.
44,000: Ontario reported the highest number of new housing construction projects in 30 years, with 44,000 new builds underway in the first half of 2023. Unfortunately, that pace is well shy of the annual target of 150,000 housing starts that the province has set in order to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031.
Charles III crowned at a turning point for the British monarchy
The UK on Saturday crowned King Charles III at Westminster Abbey. The coronation, which featured multiple faiths to reflect the country's religious diversity, was attended by some 2,000 guests amid a display of pomp and pageantry that only the British monarchy can muster. It culminated with the sovereign sitting on a 700-year-old oak throne amid the sound of trumpets and cheers of "God save the king!"
Throughout the UK, royalists celebrated in the streets and at house parties. To finish the three-day weekend, Brits were asked to give back to their communities on Monday by volunteering as part of the Big Help Out.
Despite the celebrations and worldwide coverage, questions are still rife over the future of the monarchy. While over 60% of Brits are in favor of the institution, that support is only shared by 36% of the youth. And for all the cheers on Saturday, there were others who turned out to protest. In London, 52 people were arrested for allegedly disrupting public order as they took part in anti-coronation protests.
It'll be hard for Charles III, Britain's oldest crowned king at age 74, to become as popular as his mom, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for 70 years. More broadly, the existential challenge for the British monarchy — which unlike others has little political power — will be whether it can overcome its links to a bygone era to be embraced by future generations.
Is King Charles III the "Wolf" of Buckingham Palace?
Britain's King Charles III was only four years old when his mother was crowned in 1953. But at 74, he's now the oldest person to be crowned in British history, Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.
He hasn't spent the past 50 years just sitting around, though - he's transformed his private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, into a billion-pound business empire.
In 2021, it was worth over a billion pounds, and Charles had received £23 million from it.
While the family does bring in a lot of money for the UK economy, some are questioning the Windsors' ballooning personal fortune in a time of economic crisis.
The Graphic Truth: The world's other royals
The UK is set to crown King Charles III on Saturday at Westminster Abbey. The Brits know how to draw eyes with all their pomp and circumstance – although the king himself is largely a figurehead.
Indeed, many of the world's other monarchies — whether absolute like Saudi Arabia or constitutional like Thailand — wield significantly more power than the British sovereign.
While more than three-quarters of the world's countries are republics, there are still 43 functioning monarchies today. Among them are the 16 Commonwealth nations, which have been under the rule of King Charles III since Queen Elizabeth II died last year.
In honor of King Charles III’s coronation, we take a look at the state of monarchies around the world.
Hard Numbers: Putin’s history lesson, COVID vaccine makers’ profit, “deep freeze” in US south, Aussies snub King Charles III
80: In an event marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, a Soviet victory over the Nazis, Putin tried to cast the war in Ukraine in historical and moral terms. "We are again being threatened by German Leopard tanks,” he said, referring to Berlin’s recent decision to send the heavy machinery to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kyiv says Moscow is amassing 500,000 troops in preparation for an offensive.
1.4 billion: While COVID was bad for most, it was very good for drug makers. As demand for vaccines dries up globally, drug manufacturers have so far failed to pay back $1.4 billion in advance payments for jabs made through the COVAX facility, which aimed to supply vaccines to poor countries. While some refunds have been issued directly, negotiations are ongoing.
500,000: At least 500,000 people across south-central parts of the US were left without electricity Thursday as a “deep freeze” made its way towards the northeast. The national weather service called these “once-in-a-generation” conditions and warned that exposure could lead to frostbite within 10 minutes.
5: The Australian government has taken the now-deceased British Queen Elizabeth II’s face off the $5 bill and said it will not be putting the new monarch on the next batch of notes. King Charles III, who has reportedly always felt a little insecure about his royal role, has been snubbed in favor of representatives from the Indigenous community.
Tony Blair: 3 challenges will define geopolitics in the near future
Over 48 hours in early September, the United Kingdom got a new prime minister and a new monarch. Liz Truss and Charles III take over at a turbulent time in British politics: UK is suffering from a stagnant economy, sky-high energy prices aggravated by Russia's war in Ukraine, more Brexit fallout with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol, and Scots demanding a fresh independence vote.
(Note: This interview appeared as part of an episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, Upheaval in UK: the sobering challenges facing new PM Truss & new King Charles III, on October 3, 2022, prior to Liz Truss' resignation as prime minister.)
In an in-depth interview for GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks about all of these issues with former prime minister Tony Blair, who recalls what it was like to meet Queen Elizabeth II for the first time. (His first impression: deep respect for her historical experience.)
To those who view the monarchy as an outdated institution, he says: don't worry, it's (pretty) safe. How about the economy? Blair believes there will be a lot of uncertainty over the next year or two if Truss insists on big tax cuts and big borrowing.
Blair, who wanted UK to remain in the EU, doesn't think Brexit will end up fragmenting the country. But he admits Brexit has given fresh impetus to both Scottish nationalists and those who want a united Republic of Ireland.
For Blair, three challenges will define geopolitics in the near future: the Western relationship with China, making democracy more effective, and harnessing the tech revolution. How can we address them? “We need to return to the center to match challenges that'll be more practical than ideological,” he says.