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London (AFP) – With Britain swept up in a wave of pro-monarchy sentiment since Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, the 73-year-old Charles has won almost universal praise in the media. An outpouring of tributes from world leaders and ordinary people has underlined the Queen’s status as a figure of constancy, recognising the central part Britain’s longest-serving monarch has played in national life — and as a global figure — for 70 years. Thousands of mourners — many waiting through the night — have been queueing to file past and pay their last respects to the much-loved monarch while her coffin lies in state. The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place at London’s Westminster Abbey on September 19.

Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) – King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla arrive at Llandaff Cathedral to attend a prayer service for the late Queen Elizabeth II in Cardiff, Wales. Her death last week at the age of 96 has triggered an outpouring of emotion, with tens of thousands queueing for hours, many through the night, to pay their respects to the late monarch in Westminster Hall.

Senigallia (Italy) (AFP) – Italian firefighters and other emergency services evacuate residents fom the town of Senigallia after at least seven people died when violent storms in the centre of the country flooded roads and homes. The Corriere della Sera newspaper said about 400 millimetres (16 inches) of rain fell in two hours — about the quantity normally recorded in six months in this zone. IMAGES

Yonaguni Island (Japan) (AFP) – Life may seem tranquil on Japan’s remote western island of Yonaguni, where wild horses graze and tourists dive to see sharks, but China’s recent huge military drills have left residents rattled. The island is just 110 kilometres (70 miles) from Taiwan, and last month a Chinese missile fired during the military exercises landed not far from Yonaguni’s shores.

London (AFP) – Tape cordons off a crime scene with officers on patrol at the scene of the incident after two police officers got stabbed in Leicester Square in London. The assailant was tasered and arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker, the Metropolitan Police said. A statement adds that “the incident is not being treated as terror related,” despite taking place ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

Lyon (AFP) – Amid the worst fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 2020, the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France holds a rally in Lyon. “We clearly expect France to stand by Armenia,” says the group’s co-president Janine Paloulian, as the death toll from the violent clashes on the border rose to more than 170. The escalation threatens to torpedo a fragile peace process between the Caucasus neighbours.

Hong Kong (AFP) – As Hong Kong experiences an exodus, Hong Kongers who are planning to move are taking crash courses to equip themselves with skillsets like hair-dressing and home repairs before immigrating to other countries. “More than a thousand people had participated in our course… we didn’t expect so many people would be emigrating,” said Lau Chun Yu, who set up a home-repair course for migrating Hong Kongers last September. Other Hongkongers who are choosing to leave opt for hairdressing classes to learn a skill that could help their family members or even start their own business overseas.

Samarkand (Uzbekistan) (AFP) – The leaders of Russia, China and India gather with counterparts from elsewhere in Asia for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The SCO — made up of China, India, Pakistan, Russia and the ex-Soviet Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — was set up in 2001 as a political, economic and security organisation to rival Western institutions.

Chonburi (Thaïlande) (AFP) – On the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand’s raucous motorbike drag racing makes its return after a two-year pandemic hiatus. The popular event aims to take illegal races off the streets and onto the tracks.

Chonburi (Thailand) (AFP) – On the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand’s raucous motorbike drag racing makes its return after a two-year pandemic hiatus. The popular event aims to take illegal races off the streets and onto the tracks.