The much-awaited British coronation, after a 70-year gap, was an impressive spectacle. The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey, where members of the royal family, politicians, global leaders, and the public gathered to witness the coronation of King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, the queen consort.
Among the attendees were Prince William, Princess Kate, and Prince Harry, along with the Waleses' children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Members of Queen Camilla's family will also be in attendance.
The coronation service, according to Buckingham Palace, represented the monarch's present and future role while adhering to the event's rich tradition and pageantry. The Crown Jewels and regalia played a crucial role in preserving these traditions, with the king and queen donning some of the most sacred items during the coronation ceremony, such as sceptres, orbs, and priceless royal crowns.
Here are some special moments of this historic event
(Top and below) King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort travelling in the Diamond Jubilee Coach built in 2012 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, flanked by over a thousand Armed Forces route liners and The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry sets off along the Mall from Buckingham Palace on route to Westminster Abbey. (Photo: Getty Images)
A general view inside Westminster Abbey as guests arrive ahead of the Coronation (Photo: Reuters)
Dean of Westminster David Hoyle and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby await the arrival of Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey (Photo: Reuters)
Diamond Jubilee State Coach arrives at Buckingham Palace (Photo: Reuters)
Britain's Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle arrives to attend the coronation (Photo: Reuters)
Prince William, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and their children Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis arrive at Westminster Abbey to attend the Coronation (Photo: Getty Images)
Queen Camilla and King Charles III arrive for their coronation at Westminster Abbey (Photo: Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 06: King Charles III and Queen Camilla prepare for their coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England. The Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms takes place at Westminster Abbey today. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. (Photo by Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
King Charles III and Queen Camilla seen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Coronation (Photo: Getty Images)
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)
Yeoman of the Guard walk during the Coronation (Photo: Getty Images)
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team otherwise known as The Red Arrows fly over Admiralty Arch during the Coronation (Photo: Getty Images)
Starmer and Reeves during a visit to Horiba Mira in Nuneaton, to mark the launch of the Government's Industrial Strategy on June 23, 2025 in Nuneaton. (Photo: Getty Images)
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer on Wednesday said that Chancellor Rachel Reeves would remain in her role for “a very long time to come”, after she appeared visibly upset in parliament as questions were raised about her future.
Reeves was seen with tears rolling down her face during Prime Minister’s Questions, after Starmer did not confirm whether she would remain chancellor until the next general election, expected in 2029.
The moment came after the Labour government reversed its position on key welfare spending cuts, removing a multibillion-pound saving from the public finances and prompting speculation about Reeves’s position in the cabinet.
Following the incident, the pound dropped by more than one per cent against the dollar, and the London stock market also declined.
'The Chancellor is going nowhere'
A spokeswoman for Starmer told reporters later that Reeves had the Prime Minister’s “full backing”. A spokesman for Reeves said she had been upset due to a “personal matter”.
“The Chancellor is going nowhere. She has the Prime Minister’s full backing,” said Starmer’s press secretary.
When asked why Starmer had not voiced support for Reeves in the Commons, the spokeswoman said: “He has done so repeatedly.”
She added: “The Chancellor and the Prime Minister are focused entirely on delivering for working people.”
In a later interview with the BBC, Starmer said Reeves had done “an excellent job as chancellor” and would stay in the role “for a very long time to come”.
He said the tears had “nothing to do with politics” and described suggestions to the contrary as “absolutely wrong”.
Reeves to continue work from Downing Street
Asked about why Reeves was upset, her spokesman said: “It’s a personal matter, which, as you would expect, we are not going to get into.”
He added: “The Chancellor will be working out of Downing Street this afternoon.”
Starmer reversed the government’s welfare spending plan on Tuesday following a rebellion from Labour MPs, in what has been seen as a significant blow to his authority.
The decision to drop the cuts has left a gap of nearly £5 billion in Reeves’s fiscal plans, raising the prospect that she may have to increase taxes on “working people”—something she has said she would not do.
She has also ruled out changing her position that day-to-day spending must be funded by tax receipts rather than borrowing.
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Chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammad Yunus , prays at Abu Sayeed’s grave
BANGLADESH opened on Monday (30) the murder trial of student protester Abu Sayeed, whose killing last year escalated demonstrations nationwide that ultimately ousted then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sayeed died aged 23 in the northern city of Rangpur, the first student demonstrator killed in the police crackdown on protests.
Footage of his last moments on July 16, 2024 – standing with his arms outstretched before he was shot at close range – was shown repeatedly on Bangladeshi television after Hasina’s downfall.
Prosecutors at Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal charged 30 people in connection with the killing.
Only four are in custody – two police officers, a university official and a student leader – with warrants issued for the remaining 26. Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August last year, according to the United Nations, when Hasina’s government ordered a crackdown in a failed bid to cling to power.
Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said the court had accepted the formal charges, marking the opening of the trial.
“We have stated that Sheikh Hasina ordered the then interior minister to use lethal weapons; the inspector general of police at the time carried out the instruction, and the forces on the ground, under senior police officers, executed the order,” Islam told journalists.
“Senior members of the university administration actively participated in quashing the protest.”
They include the former vicechancellor of Begum Rokeya University (BRUR), Hasibur Rashid.
The opening of the Sayeed murder trial comes a day before the first anniversary of students launching their protests.
Initially demanding reforms to a quota system for public sector jobs, the demonstrations widened to include more general grievances against Hasina’s government.
Hasina, who fled to India on August 5, is not listed in the Sayeed case and her separate trial in absentia opened in early June. Prosecutors have filed five charges against her that amount to crimes against humanity, which she denies according to her now-banned Awami League. (AFP)
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Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
THE US could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete more easily in the Indian market and reduce tariff rates, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. However, he cast doubt on a similar deal with Japan.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he believed India was ready to lower trade barriers, potentially paving the way for an agreement that would avoid the 26 per cent tariff rate he had announced on April 2 and paused until July 9.
“Right now, India doesn’t accept anybody in. I think India is going to do that, if they do that, we’re going to have a deal for less, much less tariffs,” he said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also indicated that a deal with India was close. “We are very close with India,” Bessent told Fox News, saying it could help lower tariffs on US imports and prevent a sharp rise in levies.
Indian officials extended their Washington visit through Monday to try to reach an agreement with the Trump administration and resolve remaining concerns, Indian government sources told Reuters.
A White House official familiar with the talks said the Trump administration was prioritising trade negotiations with countries including India over Japan in the lead-up to the July 9 deadline.
Tariff deadline nears
India is among several countries negotiating with the US to avoid a steep tariff increase when the current 90-day pause ends. Without an agreement, India’s reciprocal tariff rate could rise to 27 per cent from the existing 10 per cent.
Talks between the US and India have faced hurdles over differences on import duties for auto components, steel, and agricultural goods.
“We are in the middle — hopefully more than the middle — of a very intricate trade negotiation,” Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at an event in New York on Monday.
“Obviously, my hope would be that we bring it to a successful conclusion. I cannot guarantee it, because there’s another party to that discussion,” Jaishankar said. He added that there “will have to be give and take” and both sides needed to find common ground.
Exporters in India are cautiously hopeful that a deal could be reached before the deadline. Ajay Sahai, Director General of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, told AFP that exporters were “optimistic” about a possible bilateral agreement. He said it remained “quite a fluid situation” and added, “The feedback which I am getting suggests positive developments either way — and we are hopeful.”
Exporters express concern
Some of India’s major exports such as electronics, gems, jewellery, and shrimp could be impacted by higher tariffs. India recorded a trade surplus of $45.7 billion with the United States last year.
KN Raghavan, Secretary General of the Seafood Exporters Association of India, said the industry was seeing “some amount of anxiety” but also had “more reason for hope.” He said a solution “appears to be in the anvil,” without giving further details.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had also said last month that a pact could be expected in the “not too distant future.” Trump echoed that sentiment on Tuesday, calling it “a different kind of a deal.”
“It’s going to be a deal where we’re able to go in and compete,” Trump said. “Right now, India doesn’t accept anybody in. I think India is going to do that, and if they do that, we’re going to have a deal for much less tariffs.”
Key sticking points
An Indian commerce ministry official told AFP that New Delhi was still pushing for relief from separate tariffs on steel and aluminium and greater access for exports such as textiles and footwear.
Disagreements also remain over US efforts to open up India’s agriculture sector. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Financial Express that she was eager for a deal. “I’d love to have an agreement, a big, good, beautiful one; why not?” she said in an interview published Monday.
However, she noted that “agriculture and dairy” were “very big red lines” for India.
Ajay Srivastava of the Global Trade Research Initiative said in a recent note that a smaller agreement was more likely. He suggested India could cut tariffs on certain industrial goods and allow limited access for US agricultural produce in exchange for the US dropping the 26 per cent tariff.
Srivastava also warned that talks “may collapse” if Washington continues pressing India to open its core agriculture sectors or allow genetically modified products.
Raghavan said that if tariffs rise beyond 25 per cent, US buyers may turn to other sources. “Currently, exporters believe they can manage with a 10 per cent tariff, as it can be absorbed. But if it goes back up to 25 per cent to 30 per cent levels, we could see American buyers finding alternative sources,” he said.
Trump casts doubt on Japan deal
While optimism remains on the India front, Trump expressed scepticism about reaching a trade deal with Japan. Bessent told Fox News that different countries had different priorities in the talks.
Trump said he was unlikely to extend the July 9 deadline and would proceed by sending letters notifying countries of the tariff rates they would face.
“We’ve dealt with Japan. I’m not sure we’re going to make a deal. I doubt it,” Trump said aboard Air Force One.
He suggested Japan could face tariffs of 30 per cent or 35 per cent on imports — well above the 24 per cent rate announced on April 2, which was paused until July 9.
Trump criticised Japan for refusing to accept US-grown rice while exporting millions of cars to the US. “So what I’m going to do, is I’ll write them a letter saying we thank you very much, and we know you can’t do the kind of things that we need, and therefore you pay a 30 per cent, 35 per cent or whatever the numbers that we determine,” he said.
So far, only the UK has reached a limited trade deal with the Trump administration, agreeing to a 10 per cent tariff on many goods, including autos, in exchange for special access for aircraft engines and British beef.
THE UK has recorded its first increase in births since 2021, with a notable rise in babies born to fathers over 60 helping to lift the numbers, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
In 2024, there were 594,677 live births in England and Wales, up 0.6 per cent from the previous year. While this is a modest increase, it marks a change after several years of decline.
The ONS highlighted that the number of births to fathers aged 60 and above jumped by 14.2 per cent compared with 2023, rising from 942 to 1,076.
This group of older fathers has played a key role in pushing up the birthrate, even as the number of younger parents continues to fall, reported the Times.
The data also showed that almost a third of all babies born last year had mothers who were born outside the UK. In 2024, 33.9 per cent of live births were to non-UK-born women, the highest proportion since records began in 2001.
Despite this small increase, the overall number of births remains historically low. Last year’s total was the third-lowest since 1977, reflecting a long-term trend of fewer young people having children.
The average age of both mothers and fathers continues to rise. The number of babies born to mothers under 20 fell by 4.6 per cent, and there was also a drop for mothers aged 20 to 24. Births to fathers under 20 also fell slightly, while the biggest increases were seen in parents aged 35 and over
Regional differences were also clear. While England saw a small overall rise in births, some areas, such as the North East, East Midlands, East, South East, and South West, actually experienced a decline. The West Midlands and London saw the biggest increases, with birthrates up 3.4 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively. In contrast, Wales recorded a two per cent fall in live births compared to 2023.
Bridget Phillipson, secretary of state for education, has urged young Britons to consider starting families sooner, warning about the “worrying repercussions” of a falling birthrate. She pointed to the rising cost of housing and childcare as reasons why many young people are putting off having children, saying, “Young Britons are thinking twice about having a family because of the rising costs of housing and childcare,” The Times reported.
Greg Ceely, head of population monitoring at the ONS, said, “In 2024, the annual number of births in England and Wales reversed the recent trend of declining births, recording the first increase seen since 2021. Despite this overall rise, the number of births to mothers under 30 fell as people continue to put off having children until later in life. The largest decrease is seen amongst those under 20 years old, which fell by almost five per cent, while the number of mothers aged 35 to 39 grew the most.
"A couple of other long-term trends are continuing, such as seeing around half of live births within marriage or civil partnership, and an increase in births to non-UK-born mothers.”
Experts have warned that if the birthrate continues to fall, the UK could face long-term challenges, including a shrinking workforce and rising national debt. The Office for Budget Responsibility has previously said that without a recovery in the birthrate, government debt could soar over the next 50 years.
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The foreign ministers of the Quad — India, the US, Australia and Japan — met in Washington DC on Tuesday to outline priorities for the bloc’s annual summit to be held in India later this year. (Photo credit: X/@DrSJaishankar)
THE QUAD grouping has called for the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the Pahalgam terror attack to be brought to justice without delay. The group also urged all UN member states to cooperate in the process.
The foreign ministers of the Quad — India, the US, Australia and Japan — met in Washington DC on Tuesday to outline priorities for the bloc’s annual summit to be held in India later this year.
In a joint statement, the ministers condemned the April 22 attack in strong terms and called for firm action against cross-border terrorism. The statement did not mention Pakistan or the four-day military conflict between Indian and Pakistani forces in May.
Condolences and call for justice
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured,” the ministers said.
“We call for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,” they said.
The meeting was attended by India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
Concerns over maritime security and China’s actions
The ministers also expressed serious concern over growing military activity in the East China Sea and South China Sea. Without naming China directly, they said, “We reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.”
They referred to “dangerous and provocative actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous manoeuvres by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels.”
In this context, they pointed to “unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea”, saying such actions threaten peace and stability in the region.
“We are seriously concerned by the militarisation of disputed features. We emphasise the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the ministers said.
They said that maritime disputes should be resolved peacefully and in line with international law. They also underlined the 12 July 2016 ruling by the Arbitral Tribunal, calling it a “significant milestone and the basis” for settling disputes between the parties. The tribunal had ruled against China’s claims in the South China Sea in a case filed by the Philippines.
Supply chain reliability and critical minerals
The Quad ministers also raised concern about the “abrupt constriction and future reliability” of global supply chains for critical minerals, referring to China’s role in the sector.
“This includes the use of non-market policies and practices for critical minerals, certain derivative products, and mineral processing technology,” the statement said.
They stressed the need for diversified and reliable supply chains. “Reliance on any one country for processing and refining critical minerals and derivative goods production exposes our industries to economic coercion, price manipulation, and supply chain disruptions, which further harms our economic and national security,” they said.
The Quad also announced plans to launch a “Quad Ports of the Future” partnership in Mumbai later this year.
Myanmar crisis and regional stability
The foreign ministers expressed concern over the “worsening crisis” in Myanmar and its regional impact.
“We call on the regime to adhere to its commitment to a ceasefire, and call on all parties to implement, extend and broaden ceasefire measures,” they said.
“We reaffirm our strong support for ASEAN’s efforts, including calling for the full and effective implementation of the Five Point Consensus in seeking an inclusive, durable, and peaceful resolution to the crisis,” they said.
The statement also called on all sides to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance. “We are also concerned about the impact of the crisis on regional security and the spread of transnational crimes,” the ministers added.