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Creativity: A To Z Of Britain’s King Charles III

Published

3 years ago

September 17, 2022

Editor

Here is an A to Z of the new King Charles III:

– A for action man –
Charles earned the nickname in his daredevil youth, jumping out of planes, escaping from submarines, windsurfing, playing polo and waterskiing.

– B for black spider –
Before becoming king, he bombarded government ministers with letters, dubbed the “black spider memos” for his messy annotations.

– C for Camilla –
Charles was devastated when, while away on naval service, she wed Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973. Charles turned to Camilla after his marriage to Diana collapsed. They married in 2005.

– D for Diana –
A badly-matched couple, their “fairytale” marriage fell apart in explosive fashion. They separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, a year before her shock death in a car crash.

– E for environment –
A fervent environmentalist, Charles is driven by environmental preservation and organic farming. He was outspoken on climate change long before it became mainstream.

– F for faith –
The new head of the Church of England sees his role as defending the free practice of all faiths. Charles has studied Judaism and Islam and tries to encourage inter-faith dialogue.

– G for Gordonstoun –
Charles hated his years at the stark Scottish boarding school, describing his years there as a lonely “prison sentence”. Toughing it out for duty’s sake formed part of his character.

– H for homeopathy –
Charles is convinced by alternative medicine and even uses it on his farm animals. His outspoken views have often infuriated some in the scientific community.

– I for income –
Before his accession, Charles’s money came from the Duchy of Cornwall, the heir to the throne’s private land and property portfolio. The surplus funded his family’s public, charitable and private activities and he voluntarily paid income tax.

– J for jubilee speeches –
His moving, rousing addresses closing Queen Elizabeth II’s 2002, 2012 and 2022 jubilee celebrations, in which he referred to her as “Mummy”, helped endear him to the nation.

– K for Knatchbull –
The one that got away. Encouraged by Lord Mountbatten, Charles proposed to Amanda Knatchbull, his second cousin and Mountbatten’s grand-daughter, in 1979, but she declined.

– L for lengthy wait –
Charles was the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, since the age of three in 1952, and the longest-serving prince of Wales, since the age of nine in 1958.

– M for Mountbatten –
The prince’s great uncle Louis Mountbatten was his mentor and closest confidant, guiding his early life. His assassination by Irish republican paramilitaries in 1979 left Charles distraught.

– N for Navy –
Charles served on the ships from 1971 to 1976, taking command of a coastal minehunter for his last 10 months. He served in the Caribbean and around the Pacific and learned to fly helicopters.

– O for offspring –
Charles was a more hands-on parent to Princes William and Harry than his own parents had been. However, he has grown estranged from Harry after he quit royal duties and moved to California, sniping at Charles on the way.

– P for Prince’s Trust –
Charles launched the Prince’s Trust with his £7,500 navy severance pay and the charity had helped more than a million disadvantaged youngsters by the time of his accession to the throne.

– Q for Queen Mother –
Charles adored his “darling grandmother”, queen Elizabeth, the queen mother. “For me, she meant everything”, he said in a moving tribute after her death in 2002.

– R for residences –
Charles will now be expected to move into Buckingham Palace, giving up his Clarence House official London residence. He also inherits the Sandringham estate in eastern England and Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands.

– S for style –
Old-fashioned for some, impeccably suave for others, Charles’s sartorial style is unwavering, perhaps because his outfits are the same: shoes from 1968, a coat from 1985 and immaculate double-breasted suits.

– T for Transylvania –
The king, who claims descent from Vlad the Impaler, bought and restored several properties in Romania to help preserve its stunning nature and unique rural traditions.

– U for university –
He went to Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, becoming the first heir to the throne to take a degree, graduating in 1970 with a 2:2. He switched from anthropology and archaeology to study history.

– V for Vision of Britain –
Charles’s 1989 book outlines his cherished architectural principles, calling for proportionate, aesthetic development in keeping with local tradition. He put his theories into practice, building Poundbury, a model suburb.

– W for Wales –
Queen Elizabeth II made Charles the Prince of Wales aged nine, and he learnt Welsh before his inauguration ceremony in 1969.

READ: Photos From King Charles’ Proclamation

– X for X-Rated –
A secretly-recorded 1989 phone call with Camilla, published in 1993, was deeply embarrassing after tabloid newspapers got a hold of it and published transcripts.

– Y for youth –
Charles thinks Britain could emulate Germany’s national community or military service, as part of his drive to unlock latent talent in the nation’s youngsters.

– Z for Zaza –
Also known as a gin and Dubonnet. The royals’ preferred cocktail before lunch. Former prime minister Tony Blair referred to them as “true rocket fuel”.

AFP/PUNCH

Headline

Taliban Attacks Kill 23 In Northwestern Pakistan

Published

59 minutes ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in several northwestern districts that killed 20 security officials and three civilians.

The attacks, which included a suicide bombing on a police training school, were carried out on Friday in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.

Militancy has surged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the withdrawal of US-led troops from neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021 and the return of the Taliban government in Kabul.

Eleven paramilitary troops were killed in the border Khyber district, while seven policemen were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the gate of a police training school, which was followed by a gun attack.

Five people, including three civilians, were killed in a separate clash in Bajaur district, security officials told AFP on Saturday.

The Pakistani Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attacks in messages on social media. The group is separate from but closely linked with the Afghan Taliban.

The attacks came hours after Afghanistan’s Taliban government accused Pakistan of “violating Kabul’s sovereign territory”, a day after two explosions were heard in the capital.

Pakistan did not say if it was behind the blasts in Kabul, but said it had the right to defend itself against surging border militancy.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to expel militants using Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistan, an accusation that authorities in Kabul deny.

The TTP and its affiliates are behind most of the violence — largely directed at security forces.

Including Friday’s attacks, at least 32 Pakistani troops and three civilians have been killed this week alone in the border regions.

AFP

Headline

US Threatens To Sanction Countries That Vote For Shipping Carbon Tax

Published

1 hour ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The United States on Friday threatened to impose sanctions and take other punitive action against any country that votes in favor of a carbon tax on maritime transportation to be implemented through a UN agency.

“We will fight hard to protect our economic interests by imposing costs on countries if they support” the Net Zero Framework, said a joint statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his counterparts at the departments of energy and transportation.

Members of the London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) are set to vote next week on the adoption of the Net Zero Framework (NZF) agreement aimed at reducing global carbon emissions from the shipping sector.

Washington, however, described the proposal as imposing “a global carbon tax on the world.”

Since returning to power in January, US President Donald Trump has reversed Washington’s course on climate change, denouncing it as a “scam” and encouraging fossil fuel use by deregulation.

In the statement, Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Trump administration “unequivocally rejects” the NZF proposal.

They threatened a range of punishing actions against countries that vote in favor of the framework, including: visa restrictions; blocking vessels registered in those countries from US ports; imposing commercial penalties; and considering sanctions on officials.

“The United States will be moving to levy these remedies against nations that sponsor this European-led neocolonial export of global climate regulations,” the statement said.

Headline

Top 10 Most Powerful Countries In The World In 2025 And Why

Published

2 hours ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

Power in the global arena is no longer measured by military strength alone; for powerful countries, it encompasses economic resilience, political influence, technological advancement, cultural impact, and the ability to shape international alliances.

A new ranking by US News, developed in partnership with the BAV Group (a division of WPP) and Professor David Reibstein from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, highlights the countries that command the greatest global influence in 2025.

How the Rankings Were Compiled
The Power Sub-Ranking by US News was determined based on an equally weighted average of five key attributes that signify a country’s global might:

Top 10 Most Powerful Countries in the World (2025)

United States – With a GDP of $30.34 trillion and a population of about 347 million, the U.S. remains the world’s most powerful nation, driven by its unmatched military, technological innovation, and global leadership.

China – The Asian powerhouse holds the second spot with a $19.53 trillion GDP and 1.415 billion people, maintaining significant influence in global trade, manufacturing, and diplomacy.

Russia – Despite economic challenges, Russia retains its strategic importance and military dominance, with a GDP of $2.2 trillion and a population of 143.8 million.

United Kingdom – The UK’s global clout stems from its strong economy ($3.73 trillion GDP) and active role in international politics and defense alliances.

Germany – As Europe’s largest economy, Germany boasts a GDP of $4.92 trillion and a population of 83.9 million, solidifying its leadership in technology, industry, and diplomacy.

South Korea – With a $1.95 trillion GDP and a population of 51.6 million, South Korea’s rise reflects its technological innovation and growing military strength.

France – A key European player with a $3.28 trillion GDP, France continues to wield influence through its diplomatic reach, defense capabilities, and global culture.

Japan – Boasting a $4.39 trillion GDP and 123.7 million people, Japan remains a technological and economic force in Asia.

Saudi Arabia – The kingdom’s $1.14 trillion economy and control over global energy markets reinforce its growing geopolitical importance.

Israel – With a $550.91 billion GDP and a population of 9.38 million, Israel earns its place among the top 10 thanks to its advanced military and leadership in innovation and technology.