Author: staff
European monarchs and world leaders paid tribute to Norway’s King Harald on Friday, after the royal palace announced his death at the age of 89. Harald was the continent’s oldest reigning monarch. His son Haakon automatically succeeded him to the throne. Here are some of the main tributes from across the continent and further afield. Danish and Swedish monarchs The kings of Denmark and Sweden called Harald an “extraordinary” leader and good friend who unified his country. “Both as head of state and a successful athlete, he was an outstanding representative of his country. He gave ‘All for Norway’,” Sweden’s…
Norway is mourning King Harald V after the monarch died aged 89 at Oslo University Hospital’s Rikshospitalet at 6:35 a.m. local time on Friday, according to the Royal Palace. Hundreds of people gathered outside the palace to lay flowers and wreaths, while church bells rang across the country at noon. The Norwegian Royal Standard was flown at half-mast as officials and members of the public paid tribute to a king who had reigned for more than three decades. Harald became king in January 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V. His reign spanned a period of strong…
The ministry pointed to mounting evidence of serious injuries from e-scooter accidents. “International studies, medical and accident statistics all point in the same direction,” it said, with head and brain injuries particularly common in severe and fatal crashes involving electric scooters. Belgium only permits e-scooters with a maximum speed of 25 km/h on public roads. The new mandate targets models capable of going between 20 and 25 km/h. The Brussels government recently reversed its decision to ban shared e-scooters from its streets as of September 2026, allowing them to circulate until the end of the year. Belgium previously tightened e-scooter…
Published on 28/08/2026 – 17:27 GMT+2 Four men admitted on Friday being behind an arson attack on London ambulances owned by a Jewish charity at a UK court hearing. British nationals Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and British-Pakistani Saif Ali, 18, all pleaded guilty to criminal damage linked to the 23 March attack. Four ambulances run by the Hatzola charity were destroyed in the London neighbourhood of Golders Green that is home to a significant Jewish population, one of a spate of attacks in the British capital targeting Jewish or Israel-linked locations. Three of the men…
The number of people missing in Nepal and China surpassed 2,400 on Friday, underscoring the scale of the disaster days after a tsunami-like wall of water and debris swept away villages and killed hundreds. Rescuers were battling through mud even as the threat of new floods loomed, with emergency teams recovering 586 bodies so far and some of the dead swept downstream as far away as India. The new figures came as Nepal’s disaster authority added 933 hydropower workers to a missing persons list already including trekkers and pilgrims to Tibet’s sacred Mount Kailash. Relatives have crowded hospitals in Nepal’s…
A Kyiv theatre is bringing a modern Ukrainian interpretation of Homer’s Odyssey to the stage. Odysseus, Maeotis explores war, captivity, separation and the longing to return home. The production draws on interviews and personal accounts from defenders of Mariupol and former prisoners of war. Active-duty soldiers are also part of the cast, including Daniil Mireshkin, who plays Odysseus. Through myth, the play reflects on Ukrainian families waiting for loved ones, occupied territories and the lasting impact of war.
The trade deal, which will open markets involving 2 billion people and accounting for more than a fifth of global GDP, has not yet been signed — the last step before it can be fully ratified. Modi’s visit would present an opportunity to do so, although EU countries have yet to give their backing. The Indian Embassy in Brussels did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Camille Gijs contributed reporting.
Spain has asked the European Commission (EC) for the support from Frontex and Europol to assist with the screening of migrants who are staying irregularly in Ceuta, according to several Spanish media outlets. Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has asked the EC for Frontex, Europol and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) to “reinforce the device set up to address the management of the triage and subsequent processing of the personal files of the immigrants who still remain in Ceuta irregularly.” The Interior Ministry also demanded the extension of Operation Minerva, a joint initiative of the Spanish police and…
At least four people were killed in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to local health officials. Three men died in separate strikes in Gaza City, with their bodies taken to Shifa Hospital, while another person was killed when a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians was hit in southern Gaza. Several others were injured. Israel’s military said the strikes targeted Hamas militants. The attacks came as Palestinians continued to live in makeshift shelters after months of war and repeated displacement. In Gaza City, displaced resident Mohammad Hamad said on 27 August that people remained afraid to let their…
By Serge Duchêne Published on 28/08/2026 – 20:32 GMT+2 French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to London this Wednesday 2 September to open an exhibition at the British Museum devoted to the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century work depicting William the Conqueror’s conquest of England, the Elysée announced on Friday. Macron will also have a “first in-depth exchange” with the new British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, on Thursday, the presidency said. He is also expected to “have the opportunity to greet King Charles”, a presidential adviser added, without giving further details. The main purpose of the visit is “the opening of the…