Norway crowns new king
The new king of Norway, King Haakon VIII, swore an oath of allegiance before the Norwegian Parliament on Aug. 28, 2026. According to The Guardian, the oath is the first major stage of the passing of the crown since his father, Harald V, passed away hours before.
During the institution, Haakon delivered the exact oath required by Norway’s 1814 Constitution.
“Norwegian parliament,” Haakon said, “I promise and swear to rule the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its constitution and laws, so help me God the Almighty and All-knowing.”
The 17 minute ceremony also included a collective minute of silence.
Norway’s new queen, Queen Mette-Marite, could not attend the ceremony because of lung complications from a transplant. Instead, Haakon’s daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, stood beside her father during the oath.
Later, during his inaugural address and in a subsequent message to the Parliament, Haakon promised to strongly commit to his royal duties.
“The Queen and I would like to confirm that we are available to carry out our work for the country and the people,” Haakon said.
Egyptian queen’s necklace stolen
On Aug. 27, a historic Egyptian queen’s necklace was stolen from the Museum of Applied Arts by two thieves.
According to The Guardian, two men arrived at the museum at approximately 2 PM local time. They bought regular tickets and were completely unmasked. Once inside the Glanzstücke: Van Cleef and Arpels exhibition, one man smashed the display case containing the necklace with a hammer while the other man kept guard with a firearm, which prevented security from intervening. Then they fled on foot. Investigators believe the perpetrators were workers for a larger criminal group.
The necklace is a historic piece created in 1939 for Queen Nazli to celebrate her daughter’s wedding. It was made by French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels and weighs over 200 carats and contains 673 diamonds set in platinum.
Because the necklace is very recognizable, the thieves would most likely dismantle it and sell the materials separately. This would dramatically reduce the cost of the necklace from 4.3 million to a few hundred thousand.
Austrian police are leading an active international manhunt for the thieves.
Floods devastate the Nepal-Tibetan border
On Aug. 26, a high-altitude glacier collapsed near the Nepal-Tibetan border in Langtang National Park.
According to The Bangkok Post, the collapse reached a magnitude of 5.2 on seismometers and caused the glacier to melt, carrying rocks, dirt and water as it transformed into an inland tsunami. Many buildings that ran across the river valley were swept away and the Nepal-China border complex was reduced to ruins upon impact.
The floods caused more than 1,300 casualties, as well as 5,000 missing people. Rescue efforts are centered around reaching people trapped inside debris-filled tunnels. Rescue teams are also using helicopters to reach flat and isolated communities in search of missing people.
After this disaster, the Nepal Government will be in the process of rebuilding an entire warning system for landslides throughout its border with China.
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