Queen Elizabeth II has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace

 The Queen has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace has announced. The Queen's death ends the longest reign in British history. She was also the world's oldest head of state.

The Queen has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace has announced.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” Buckingham Palace said.

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British history and the world’s oldest head of state.

On her death, the Queen’s eldest son and heir, Charles, the former Prince of Wales, has become King of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth realms.

No official details have been released about what will happen over the coming days, but it is anticipated that the Queen will be given a full state funeral, as is traditional to mark the death of a monarch.

It is also expected that her body will lie in state to allow the public to pay tribute.

The King will sign off the final plans in the coming days.

The Queen was last seen on Tuesday welcoming her 15th prime minister

A life of service

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London on 21 April 1926.

At the time, no one expected her to be Queen as she was third in line to the throne behind her uncle and father.

During her record-breaking reign, she dedicated her life to serving her country and Commonwealth.

In a radio address in 1947 on her 21st birthday, she said: “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

Princess Elizabeth became Queen in 1952 at the age of 25, when her father, King George VI, died.

Her coronation took place 16 months later at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen held a number of other titles, which will now automatically pass to her son and heir.

She was head of the Commonwealth, commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces, and supreme governor of the Church of England. She was also patron of more than 600 charities and organisations.

The royal couple with their four children in Windsor in 1968

Wife, mother, grandmother

Away from her official duties, she was a devoted wife and mother to four children, and dedicated grandmother to eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

In 1947, she married her wartime sweetheart Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey, with a relatively simple ceremony as the country was still recovering from the war.

King George VI wrote to her about his feelings about giving her away: “I was so proud of you and thrilled at having you so close to me on our long walk in Westminster Abbey, but when I handed your hand to the Archbishop I felt that I had lost something very precious.”

The Queen gave birth to Prince Charles in 1948 and to Princess Anne two years later. Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – who were born in 1960 and 1964 respectively – were the first children to be born to a reigning monarch since Queen Victoria had her family.

Until his death in 2021, the Duke of Edinburgh, “her beloved husband”, was always by the Queen’s side.

She described the Duke as her “constant strength and stay” and in 2017 the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, the only royal couple to ever reach their platinum anniversary.

The Queen and Prince Philip after her coronation in June 1953

A record-breaking reign

The Queen’s reign saw 15 different prime ministers, from Sir Winston Churchill to Liz Truss.

She was more widely travelled than any other international leader and the world’s oldest head of state, always using her own distinctive form of quiet diplomacy to represent the United Kingdom around the world.

In 2015, she also became the longest-serving British monarch in history, passing the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

As head of state and head of nation, Queen Elizabeth II was widely regarded as a symbol of stability, working tirelessly to make sure the monarchy remained relevant during a period of immense social, technological, and economic change.

She was a monarch without equal who will now be mourned across the globe.

The Queen with her family during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations

What happens now

Upon the Queen’s death, Prince Charles has immediately become the new monarch.

A period of national mourning has begun and is set to last until the funeral, which is expected to take place in 10 days time.

Her body will be moved to Buckingham Palace, where it will likely remain for five days.

The government is not expected to announce any other business, unless urgent, to allow focus to fall completely on the Queen.

Major sporting events, including football and cricket matches, could now to be postponed as a mark of respect.

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Queen under medical supervision at Balmoral

 The Queen is under medical supervision at Balmoral after doctors became concerned for her health, Buckingham Palace has said.

All the Queen’s children have gathered at her Scottish estate near Aberdeen.

“Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” a statement said.

The Queen is “comfortable”, it added.

It is very unusual for Buckingham Palace to put out a statement like this – it is usually unwilling to provide a commentary on the 96-year-old monarch’s medical matters, which are seen as private.

Her son, Prince Charles, is at Balmoral with his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Her grandson, the Duke of Cambridge, other sons, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex, and his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, arrived at Aberdeen airport just before 16:00 BST.

Prince William drove them alone in a car together to the Queen’s Scottish estate, a journey of about 40 miles (64km).

Watch: Plane carrying senior royals lands in Aberdeen

Her daughter Princess Anne was already in Scotland undertaking engagements and is in Balmoral.

The Duchess of Cambridge has remained in Windsor with her children on their first full day at school.

The Duke of Sussex is travelling separately to Balmoral. A spokeswoman said his wife Meghan was not accompanying him. The US-based couple had been in the UK to attend a charity function.

There are clearly pressing concerns for the Queen’s health – much more explicitly put than before and without any reference to this only being about difficulties with mobility.

There are also warnings against unfounded speculation, such as that she might have had a fall. And on Tuesday she was photographed smiling as she appointed new Prime Minister Liz Truss.

But from the last-minute cancellation of what would only have been a virtual meeting of the Privy Council – of senior ministers – there is no mistaking the fragility of the Queen’s health.

Ms Truss said the “whole country” would be “deeply concerned” by the news.

“My thoughts – and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time,” she added.

Prince William drove the group of royals – including Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – to Balmoral

The Queen appointed Ms Truss as prime minister at Balmoral, instead of travelling to London for the event.

During her 70-year reign the Queen has typically had an audience with her new prime minister at Buckingham Palace.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “My prayers, and the prayers of people across the [Church of England] and the nation, are with Her Majesty The Queen today.

“May God’s presence strengthen and comfort Her Majesty, her family, and those who are caring for her at Balmoral.”

The Queen is also head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country was “wishing her well, and sending our best to the Royal Family”.

The White House said US President Joe Biden had been briefed and that his and First Lady Jill Biden’s thoughts were “solidly and squarely with the Queen today and her family”.

News of the Queen’s ill-health came as MPs heard details of the government’s new plan to help households and businesses with energy costs in the House of Commons.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi entered the Commons and spoke to Ms Truss. Notes were then passed to the Commons speaker and Labour front bench. The palace statement came minutes later.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was “deeply worried”, while Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sent her thoughts and wishes to the Queen.

Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford sent his best wishes on behalf of the people of Wales.

The monarch has been on a summer break at her Scottish home since July.

Barriers have been being placed outside one of the entrances to the estate.

Meanwhile, a subdued crowd gathered at Buckingham Palace, the monarch’s official London residence, under dark skies and with rain showers forecast.

Queen health fears – latest updates: Royals arrive at Balmoral as monarch under medical supervision amid ‘deep concern’

Latest updates as members of the Royal Family travel to Balmoral amid concerns over the Queen’s health after Buckingham Palace said she was under “medical supervision”.

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Kenyatta ‘has not seen it fit to congratulate me’ – Ruto

 Kenya’s President-elect William Ruto says the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta has not seen it fit to congratulate him for his election win.

“I have won the elections, that is what is important… Unfortunately, President Kenyatta has not seen it fit to congratulate me but I think that’s fine. Maybe he is a bit disillusioned, or maybe he is unhappy that I defeated his candidate. But that is the nature of politics,” he told CNN.

The interview was aired hours after Mr Ruto tweeted about his telephone conversation with President Kenyatta, in which they discussed the general election and the transition to a new administration.

Mr Ruto, an evangelical Christian, also told CNN that gays rights are “not a big issue” in the country at the moment, and he will focus on more pressing issues of unemployment and hunger.

“We do not want to create a mountain out of a mole hill. This is not a big issue for the people of Kenya.”

He added: “When the issue of homosexuality and the rights of LGBT will come, the people of Kenya will make a choice and we will respect the choice. For now let us focus on the issues that affect our people.”

A colonial-era law criminalises gay sex in Kenya – which is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. It is not clear whether there have ever been any convictions for gay sex in Kenya.

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Uganda landslides kill at least 15 amid heavy rains

 Landslides triggered by heavy rain have killed at least 15 people – mostly women and children – in Kasese, in western Uganda.

Some homes were also washed away by flood waters that tore through the area located on the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains.

A spokesperson for the Uganda Red Cross says six people were injured in the landslides in Rukoki following torrential rains.

A yet to be ascertained number of people are feared missing.

The region is prone to landslides and saw three people killed last week in Bundibugyo district.

The rainy reason, which normally starts in August, has this year resulted in devastation in parts of the country.

Early last month, at least 24 people died after rivers in eastern Uganda burst their banks.

Several parts of East Africa have experienced severe weather this year, from long droughts to destructive rains and flooding.

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Typhoon Hinnamnor: Seven drown in flooded South Korean car park

 Seven people in South Korea have died after they were trapped in an underground car park during floods caused by Typhoon Hinnamnor.

They had gone down to move their cars but got caught by the incoming torrents.

Crew said they rescued two people, who reportedly survived by clinging to ceiling pipes for more than 12 hours.

Typhoon Hinnamnor, the strongest cyclonic storm this year so far, hit South Korea earlier this week.

Rescuers had to wade through metres of brown water to enter the almost completely submerged basement on Tuesday night.

According to news site Yonhap, all nine people were residents of an apartment building who had earlier on Tuesday morning been told by the management office to move their cars from the car park.

The survivors – a man in his 30s and a woman in her 50s – were reported to be in stable condition.

Crews remove a body – covered by a white sheet -from the submerged basement car park

The water rushed in before many people were able to get out

President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his grief over the drownings, calling it a “disaster”.

“I couldn’t sleep last night because of this tragedy,” he said.

He added that he had designated the city a special disaster zone, and would travel to the region later on Wednesday.

Pohang, the city where the tragedy occurred, has suffered the worst damage across the country. In one area, a beachside hotel collapsed on its foundations during the storm. The resort operators told the BBC no guests had been injured.

The beachside resort collapsed during the storm

At least 10 people have now died as a result of Typhoon Hinnamnor, which swept South Korea’s southern and eastern coasts on Monday and Tuesday, driving huge surf, gale-force winds and heavy rain. Several other cities across the south – including Busan and Ulsan- are also dealing with wreckage caused by the storm, which ripped up roads, smashed building windows and flattened trees.

South Korea – like many countries in East Asia – has over the past few months endured extreme rains as well as record temperatures.

In early August, it recorded massive downpours which flooded cities, including the capital Seoul. Such floods killed at least eight people, including three who were living in basement apartments.

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