<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">London: World leaders began gathering in London from Saturday for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Police are mounting Britain’s biggest-ever security operation for Monday’s funeral, as hundreds of dignitaries including US President Joe Biden are set to jet in.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">British Prime Minister Liz Truss met her counterparts from Australia and New Zealand who have arrived in town ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Truss met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Premier Jacinda Ardern at the government’s Chevening country residence outside London on Saturday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ardern said the talks focused on the queen’s death and King Charles III, as well as the war in Ukraine and the UK’s free trade agreement with New Zealand.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Truss’ meeting with Albanese also touched on trade. The Australian leader signed a condolence book for the queen’s family with his partner, Jodie Haydon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also signed the condolence book.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ceremony at Westminster Abbey - expected to be watched by millions around the globe - will see 142 sailors pulling the gun-carriage bearing her lead-lined coffin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The state funeral, the first in Britain since the death of Winston Churchill in 1965, will take place at Westminster Abbey in London at 11:00am local time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It will be attended by more than 2,000 guests, but leaders from countries at loggerheads with the UK such as Russia, Belarus and Afghanistan have not been invited.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It will be London’s largest ever policing event, the city’s Metropolitan Police force said on Friday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">More than 2,000 officers have been drafted from across the country to help Scotland Yard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the funeral, the queen’s coffin will be transferred by royal hearse to Windsor Castle, west of London, for a committal service.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That will be followed by a family-only burial in which the queen will be laid to rest alongside her late husband Philip, both her parents and her younger sister.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Saturday, King Charles III and his son Prince William met some of the thousands of people waiting in line to see Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The new king and his heir shook hands and chatted with people at Lambeth Bridge, with many mourners having queued overnight to see the late monarch at Westminster Hall. Source:HT</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>