Final goodbyes to Queen Elizabeth; Taiwan tensions escalate; Puerto Rico floods

On Sept. 19, 2022, the world said its final goodbyes to Queen Elizabeth II as she is laid to rest; tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated once again over Taiwan; and Puerto Rico is experiencing flooding from Hurricane Fiona.

Queen Elizabeth II final goodbyes – The world is joining Great Britain in saying its final goodbyes to Queen Elizabeth II. Her funeral at Westminster Abbey was held Monday morning with world leaders showing up to offer their respects to the royal family. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were in attendance.  A private burial for the royal family is set for later today.

U.S. vows to defend Taiwan, China fires back – Tensions between the U.S. and China over Taiwan have once again escalated. In a CBS “60 Minutes” interview, President Biden said the U.S. would defend Taiwan in the instance of a Chinese invasion. A Chinese official said this violates America’s commitment to refrain from supporting formal independence for Taiwan. Beijing previously said this sentiment would lead to war.

Hurricane Fiona floods Puerto Rico – The governor of Puerto Rico is reporting catastrophic damage after Hurricane Fiona made landfall Sunday. The power grid was knocked out and flooding hit historic levels, according to local meteorologists. No deaths were immediately reported. The storm quickly made itqus way over to the Dominican Republic as it made landfall there Monday morning.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.