A million visitors are queuing up to attend the longest-reigning Queen Elizabeth II Lying-in-State, making history; while a galaxy of world leaders land in London for the State funeral at Westminster Abbey at 11 am (3:30 pm IST) on Monday. It will be a huge gathering of world leaders never seen before. King Charles III hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for them on Sunday evening. There were 500 dignitaries.

The queue from Southwark Park touches Tower bridge, London bridge, Southwark bridge, Millennium bridge, Blackfriars bridge, Waterloo bridge and Westminster bridge before crossing the Lambeth bridge to enter a zig-zag near the entrance.

The BBC gave a calculation of the length of the queue. The distance from Westminster to Southwark Park, the starting point of the queue, is 11 km. Then there is the zig-zag section of nearly 5 km to rough in. So the queue is meandering slowly up towards Westminster for a total of 16 km! (which in theory becomes a constant). Although, 16 km is quite a lot for standing and moving without any chance to cool your legs for a moment. "Very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving” - the Government itself cautioned a swelling stream of mourners pouring into London from across the kingdom day and night. The time taken can easily be 14 hours! Yet the determination keeps everyone fit as a fiddle.

The calculation doesn't take into account a queue to join the queue that has come up and the last-minute doubling of the official queue into a double lane.

The masses in the queues looked extremely solemn and serious too and displayed an amazing natural discipline that illustrated a national character evolved partly from a thousand years of democratic tradition.

LONDON, Sept 18: Biggest-ever security arrangements were put in place in London as a stream of Heads of State and Government, like US President Joe Biden, and royals and other dignitaries from across the world began landing in the city since Saturday to participate in Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday at 11 am (3:30 pm IST). Around 2,000 guests are expected who will be seated in Westminster Abbey, the venue for the State funeral, by 8 am. King Charles III and Prime Minister Liz Truss were scheduled to meet the top leaders separately on Saturday-Sunday. On Sunday evening Charles hosted a reception for them at Buckingham Palace. There were 500 dignitaries.

Meanwhile, the long queues of commoners that began swelling by the hour since Wednesday evening has broken the Guinness World Records. Nearly a million visitors will have filed past the coffin by the end of time or that is the capacity for which only arrangements had been made!

Britons are displaying exemplary fortitude in enduring the grueling journey standing 12 to 14 hours day or night in unending queues wanting to pay respects to the departed Queen lying-in-state.

Shuffling along the streets of London, it appeared uncertain on Sunday if most visitors desiring to come will make it, missing out an experience of a lifetime, attending the Monarch lying-in-state.

The mourners in line are roughing it for the toughest time braving the cold nights standing in queues for over 12 hours on an average, old and young alike, from far and near, having come for a last glimpse of their beloved Queen 'waiting' in the people's house, the centuries old Westminster Hall, before Her Majesty moves into her final resting place at Wintsor Castle alongside her Prince Consort.

Southwark Park is the entry point for the queue. Queues systematically wind through a zig-zag section and along the Thames bank passing the Lambeth Bridge (see image).

Unusual for Westerners, the mourners united in purpose were seen at places chit-chatting as they willingly embraced the ordeal. Those were positive expressions. No complaints.

People talking to one another, asking where did they hail from, connecting with people walking past slowly, on their own, disciplined, absolute silence, orderly movement, without need for cops to utter a word! Even inside the Hall they behaved themselves, they could take their own time, if they wanted. There was pindrop silence as everyone bowed one's head in reverence. It was history in the making.

30 things you didn’t know about Queen Elizabeth!

The mourners came prepared, dressed to face any weather. On Saturday too like the previous day, queues lengthened to full capacity and it was overwhelming at Southwark Park, the entry point. It was estimated a visitor joining the queue at Southwark Park took 12 hours on an average to reach the entrance. On Sunday the stream of visitors to London only mounted. As the entrance will close at 6:30 am Monday, joining the queue after 6 pm Sunday will invite only disappointment.

A Government website said, "this is a journey with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving”.

It was cloudy on Sunday morning at 8 and the temperature was 11 deg C. The night before was colder. How did the multitudes manage. According to BBC, blankets were distributed.

King Charles and Prince William had an unscheduled meeting with mourners in the queue at points like Lambeth bridge, south London, on Saturday. King Charles shook their hands. Several people cried after meeting Prince William, BBC reported.

Some Do's & Don'ts

Authorities had on Saturday warned the public not to undertake travel to join the queue as the wait time stretched beyond 14 hours standing. Visitors were told better not to bring children.

According to Daily Telegraph, the visitors are given a coloured wrist band bearing a number that helps them to leave the line to go to portaloos or for refreshments if they want and get back to their slot.

There are 500 portable toilets and eight first aid stations run by St John Ambulance along the route.

Around a 1,000 cops have been drawn to London from across the Kingdom to help the Scotland Yard, the city police, to assist the public.

The British Film Institute (BFI) has set up an outdoor screen showing footage from the archives of Queen's life for the those in the queues.

The Government had already warned the people about the physical endurance.

More than 700 people had fallen sick in the queue and had to be treated by paramedics, till Saturday.

Before reaching the security check at the Victoria Tower Gardens at the Palace of Westminster, any food or liquid thay may have must be consumed or disposed of. Flasks and water bottles must be emptied. A small bag of size up to 40 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm, with one simple opening or zip is allowed in. However, there is a bag drop facility before check point. Checking is very strict.

No photography is allowed. Flowers, candles etc can be dropped at an identified tribute area beforehand. That is near Green Park.

No weapons, blankets etc are allowed. One should be ready to spend the night in the queue.

David Beckham in queue

Renowned soccer star David Beckham preferred to take his turn waiting in line with the rest of the country's mourners. Beckham was seen in line on Friday morning. He waited for more than 12 hours to reach the Queen.

Grateful King Charles and Prince William met some mourners in the queue and shook hands, on Saturday.

Entry to the queues was blocked by authorities on Friday as they were snaking beyond an unmanageable 8 km at 10 in the morning (IST 2:30 pm Friday), taking 14 hours to reach the entrance. New visitors were not allowed for at least six hours. They were told to be prepared to spend the night standing in queue.

"Entry (to the queue) will be paused for at least 6 hours. Please do not attempt to join the queue until it re-opens," the Government's culture department said on Twitter.

Lying-in-State

The longest-reigning Queen Elizabeth II who died on September 8 was the oldest monarch at 96. She was on the throne for over 70 years.

The coffin is placed on a catafalque and draped in the Royal Standard, with the Orb and Sceptre placed on top.

The Queen’s four children - King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, will be present at the funeral.

The opening of lying in state was attended by the new British Prime Minister Liz Truss and Labour Party Opposition leader Keir Starmer.

The new Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, Prince William, and his brother Duke of Sussex Prince Harry and other royals stood vigil at the Queen's coffin on Saturday evening. Charles and the Queen Consort did so on Friday.

Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were given permission to wear military uniform for the vigil. He had relinquished royal functions a few years back over the scandal relating to Jeffrey Epstein.

The tradition of Lying-in-State for monarchs began in 1910 with Edward VII, who lay-in-state in Westminster Hall. Three lakh visitors had lined up day and night in bitter cold to file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II's father George VI. Elizabeth the Queen Mother lay in state, in 2002. Prince Philip, Elizabeth II's consort, opted out; he died in 2021. Some Prime Ministers like Winston Churchill also lay-in-state in Westminster Hall.

A national minute's silence is held across the UK on Sunday at 20:00. A prayer service will be held at the Kelpies, near Falkirk.

Buckingham Palace said five prime ministers held audiences with the King on Saturday afternoon. They were Jacinda Ardern, PM of New Zealand, Australian leader Anthony Albanese, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, The Bahamas' PM Philip Davis, and the PM of Jamaica Andrew Holiness.

The funeral

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral is the first state funeral in the UK since Winston Churchill’s in 1965.

The lying-in-state in Westminster Hall ends 6:30 am Monday and the Hall will be closed. At 10:44 am the coffin will be placed on the gun carriage and moved to nearby Westminster Abbey at 10.52 am. Pall bearers will lift the coffin from the carriage and carry to Abbey. Doors will open at 8 am to allow guests like Biden take their seats.

Heads of state and overseas Government representatives, including foreign royal families, Governors-General and realm Prime Ministers will gather initially at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and travel under “collective arrangements” to Westminster Abbey, Independent said. Royals other than those in procession will also take their seats early.

All others like MPs and those from the realms and the Commonwealth will form the congregation, about 2,000 people, who will also be seated at 8 am.

A life of duty

At 11 am the funeral service will begin. It will be attended by world leaders and the royal family members present. Funeral will be conducted by Dean of Westminster. Prime minister Liz Truss and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth are both expected to give readings at the service.

At 11:55 Last Post is played and then a national two-minute silence will follow. The service ends with a piper playing at 12 noon.

Then, starting at midday, the bearer party will lift the coffin from the catafalque and place on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy which will stop at Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, at around 1 pm. There the coffin will be transferred on to the State hearse and driven to Windsor Castle. It will arrive at Windsor Castle at 3.06 pm. Then starts a walking procession up Windsor Castle's Long Walk, about 5 km. The King and other royals join the cortege in the Quadrangle in a procession for the committal service at St George's Chapel.

The three processions

(So there are three processions for the funeral. The first is a short one from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the official State funeral service; then from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy; here the coffin is transferred to the State Hearse for the onward journey to Windsor Castle. The third procession is within the Castle premises, to St George's Chapel.)

After a ceremony at 4 pm in St George’s Chapel, the coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault.

Queen's coffin will be reunited with Prince Philip’s

At 7:30 pm Queen Elizabeth II's coffin will be reunited with the her husband of 70 years, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Consort Philip’s coffin and they both will be interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel (of the Queen's father) in a private service. Prince Philip is currently resting in the Royal vault.

(A chapel is a small place of worship which can be anywhere - like even residences - and without clergymen or priests while a church is a dedicated building with clergymen or priests managing the prayers. A large church can also accommodate one or more chapels. A cathedral is bigger than a church and is run by a bishop. The very ancient Windsor Castle belongs to the monarchy and has the medieval St George's Chapel which may be used for services like weddings and burials. The King George VI Memorial Chapel was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II as her father's burial place. It is a part of St George's Chapel. The Castle was the Queen's private residence.)

Rao the mathematical legend had fathered the path-breaking Rao-Blackwell theorem, one of the most important theorems in mathematical statistics, at the age of 25. That brought him global fame. He is also famous for his Cramér-Rao Bound inequality theorem relating to quality of estimators in statistics which has had a profound bearing on applications of modern economics and several other diverse fields. Simply put, with the pioneering statistician computation became a tool to analyse even socio-economic challenges of modern times.

The ISRO said on Thursday evening that after rolling out from Vikram lander to the Moon's surface in the previous night, Pragyan's rover mobility operation commenced during the day on Thursday. The exploration has started.

Chairman Somanath said everything is working very well.

The rover will mainly study the mineral composition of the moon, the ions and water ice***, its atmosphere and any seismic activities.

Chandrayaan-3 had successfully landed on the Moon's south pole on Wednesday at 6:03 pm as per schedule, making India the first country ever to touch down on the polar surface.

The alleged incident has received such a flash publicity that a standardised city's hugely middle class population will have second thoughts about eating outside for some time. Now everything on the table looks suspicious!

“All subjects directly connected to the people should be shifted to the State List. Particularly the subject of education. Only if this is done can cruel exams like NEET be abolished,” Stalin said. Education was moved from the State List to the Concurrent List with the 42nd Constitution Amendment made by the Central Government in 1976.

Decentralisation has been at the core of Tamil politics since the times of CN Annadurai. Stalin indicated there will be political changes in the offing.

TAILPIECE: While the Centre and the States are at loggerheads, it takes a different cognitive acumen to know that entrance tests are not the way for students' admission to courses.

A University of Florida Professor, Harrison Hove who was on the flight, posted on social media that the incident was "terrifying." He said, "I've flown a lot. This was scary ... The photos cannot capture the burning smell, loud bang or ear pops ... Something failed midflight and depressurized the cabin."

As recently as Tuesday Craig Robertson had posted on Facebook: "Perhaps Utah will become famous this week as the place a sniper took out Biden the Marxist." Biden was scheduled to make his first visit to Utah as President Wednesday afternoon.

• Let's Go! The legal immigrants should be allowed the flexibility to change jobs and travel without obstacles. Doing away with the country cap on Green Cards only can do this easily.
• Bureaucratic delays in the US legal immigration system are also a drag on the country's economy while leaving so many families in limbo, the Congressmen argued.
• In fact, the country cap was introduced to ensure diversity of immigrants as well as to prevent monopoly by any one country like China leading to distortions in the American culture and politics in course of time.
• In any which case, it is high time the US straightened its convoluted immigration laws for their own convenience and to allow the immigrants their basic rights!

Maruti is recalling 87,599 S-Presso and Eeco vehicles to inspect and possibly replace parts in the steering system. All reputed companies around the world do recall their products when a defect comes to light.

Meanwhile, a question arises why just in about a year so many accidents have taken place involving Mercedes sent to India while the car has won safety awards abroad? In most cases, the vehicle collided with divider, while manoeuvring a turn. Was there a split second delay in the steering system coming to a grip when at high speed? Did anybody in India bother to study a pattern in several of these accidents that took place one after other?

Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry died when his Mercedes-Benz-SUV hit a divider in Gujarat. Cricketer Rishabh Pant's Mercedes-Benz-SUV rammed a divider in Uttarakhand and smashed. It went up in flames but he escaped with injuries. Brother of PM Narendra Modi, Prahlad Modi's Mercedes-Benz-SUV met with a similar accident in Mysuru. And many more.

• Experts blame violation of the Visual Flying Rules (VFR) for most of the chopper crashes in the mountains as the leading cause. VFR means fly only visually - because of the lack of navigation aids in remote areas or unreliability of GPS-like aids in hilly terrains or a remote manipulation of instruments in cases of sabotage - as the topography plays havoc especially in the monsoon (mid-June to September).
• Even when VFR is followed, most crashes occur due to CFIT (Controlled Flight into Terrain) - that is, everything else is OK but the aircraft collides with hills or trees hidden by the clouds. This also occurs mostly in the monsoon.
• On Tueday with Manang, the chopper was brand new, pilot was highly experienced. But it hit an 'invisible' tree and then crashed against a hillside. This CFIT occurred when the pilot tried to dodge patches of clouds even as he was following the VFR.
• Simply put, everyone knows flying in the hills during the monsoon is risky, but the companies want to make more money in any which case. This type of tragedy is very frequently invited in the Indian hill State of Uttarakhand as well, where pilots are even made to fly without the mandatory rest.

The new offer will enable H-1B speciality occupation visa holders in the US to apply for a Canadian work permit, while also offering study and work permit opportunities for their family members accompanying them.

The selected applicants will be granted an unrestricted work permit for a maximum period of three years. The IRCC will entertain 10,000 applications. The window is open for one year.

• Curfew was clamped on areas in Paris on Thursday lasting till Monday. The police apprehend an escalation of volence in the coming days. There will be "actions targeted at the forces of order and the symbols of the State", they said.
• Under present law, the police have brute powers to deal with traffic violators. Young Nahel was shot point-blank by a cop for purported traffic violation and an anticipated crime.

Way back when on June 20 EST after searches were launched, India Travel Times had, on an analysis of the data available, indicated the probability of Titan undergoing a sudden and massive implosion (inward collapse) at great depths. (SEE: Titanic expedition goes missing: A ray of hope from sounds of bang) Now videos taken by a Canadian robot that reached the floor on Thursday evening, June 22, has confirmed it. The fragments are lying scattered. Horizon Arctic's ROV robot found the debris 1600 ft from Titanic bow.

The submersible imploded at 500 metres above sea bed, if we go by our calculations. The water pressure it had to withstand at that point was 2,345 kg per sq inch. The hull was not built to take that, as per the court cases fought by concerned people at the time of building the sub and going by the details revealed in the cancellation of booking by at least one ocean expert.

Sources said some people shifted places on the decks of the boat crammed with over 500 migrants and that tilted the vessel, while others said engine failure. It sank about 75 km from Pylos peninsular jetty on the Greek coast in the Ionian Sea bay in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea on the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday.

ChatGPT has 'duped' a New York lawyer of a federal court. A first-time user, Schwartz asked the bot to do the laborious research work on his behalf and bring out cases similar to the suit he was filing against Avianca airline. About six non-existing cases the chatbot "hallucinated" and Schwartz promptly submitted them. The judge could not find these "legal gibberish" in records and the lawyer stands thoroughly discredited and humiliated. What was all the excitement about ChatGPT? When we approach ChatGPT does it introduce itself as what it is and what it is not?

After reaching New York, the Cessna made a hairpin turn and flew back over Washington DC for inexplicable reasons. But why was the pilot unresponsive to air traffic controllers FAA for two hours in the air and the fighters' flares later? It is said the plane, flying at 34,000 feet, likely lost cabin pressure, the pilot slumping due to hypoxia that sets in in about 20 to 30 seconds! Did the auto pilot take over till fuel lasted? Why did it make a 360 deg turn? The moot point is, how secure is the White House!

ANALYSIS: The underlying crime that defendant ex-President Donald Trump, is said to have concealed by falsification of business records - which only will make the whole thing a felony and stand up in the court - is not specified in the indictment which is sketchy: may be because prosecutors can withhold details at this stage. Yet, the hush-money payment being federal election law violations, it cannot come under the jurisdiction and scope of State prosecutors. Deprived of substantial documentary evidence, how will the veteran District Attorney Alwin Bragg navigate through this complexity and prove the intent is to be seen. He will have an option to invoke State tax laws, where violation is serious crime. But that is another case. The trial will drag on for years, anyway!

What next: His fingerprints and mugshot will be taken like any defendant in criminal cases. Arrest is unlikely (Florida Governor can block any warrant, complicating matters). Trump's attorney Tacopina said Trump will turn himself in.

Can Trump contest presidential election? Yes. There is no existing US law to bar him. He can even serve as President from prison.

The loophole: The Grand Jury has no documentary evidence as the NDA was not signed either by Trump or Cohen (Trump's attorney who turned hostile) on his behalf. It is depending on the testimony of Cohen and Daniels.

Where do Republicans stand: At any rate, the 'stormy petrel' has cooked Donald Trump's presidential goose, although he thinks otherwise. The Republicans are a divided lot.

• The shooter, a former student of the school., entered through a side door, after breaking the glass door. She was shot dead by the police, but only after six lives were lost.
• Every time a shooting takes place in the US, every time the White House makes a statement: “Enough is enough.” It's funny, painful and cruel!. Mostly the mass shootings take place in the schools.

In a related development, the USCIS issued a clarification that those who have lost jobs in the ongoing layoffs in the tech sector can apply for a change of non-immigrant status or for a "compelling circumstances" employment authorization document and stay back. This followed an appeal to Biden by thousands of Indians who have been affected by the layoffs.

Darkness has descended on most of the US from the Great Lakes to Mexican border and from the Appalachian mountains in the east to the Rockies mountains in the west without power, and large swathes have gone under the snow. Several thousands of flights have been cancelled due to the howling blizzards and zero-visibility in the past few days and medical services are unable to operate sans accessibility. A fast-moving Guv Kathy Hochul has already declared emergency in New York and closed vulnerable airports. Christmas is washed out.

The story is no different in Canada, coming nearer to the pole where the cold vortex cycle has been blasted off (Arctic blast) by the hot winds from an Atlantic, warmed up due to climate change.

The life-threatening situation will continue for several days more. Too taxing for the hypothalamus!