International news brief: Queen Elizabeth's grandchildren hold vigil

London, Sep 18: Queen Elizabeth II's eight grandchildren held a vigil around her coffin on Saturday, two days before the late monarch's funeral.

US President Joe Biden also arrived in the United Kingdom on Saturday ahead of the memorial event and is expected to pay tribute at her coffin on Sunday.

Members of the public queued for up to 25 hours to pay their last respects in London's Westminster Hall.

Queen Elizabeth's grandchildren, aged from 44 to 14, stood by the coffin. This include King Charles' two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

President Murmu in London

President Draupadi Murmu has arrived here on a three-day visit to attend the state funeral of British Queen Elizabeth II, scheduled at Westminster Abbey on Monday, and to offer condolences on behalf of the Indian government.

The Indian head of state, who arrived on Saturday evening, will join around 500 world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and royals from across the world, in a congregation of around 2,000 expected at the Abbey for a sombre ceremony starting at 11 am local time and concluding with a two-minute silence around the country an hour later.

Senegal gets first prime minister since 2019

Senegalese President Macky Sall reinstated the post of prime minister on Saturday, appointing Amadou Ba, the former economy minister, in the post.

It comes at a time when the West African country is struggling with economic hardship, partly stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and global fallout linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Sall said the new prime minister would be responsible for addressing the rising cost of living.

"Measures to reduce the cost of living and support employment and entrepreneurship for young people, the fight against floods and costly rents will remain the highest of priorities for me," Sall said in a speech broadcast on Friday ahead of the appointment.

Ba echoed these statements on Saturday.

Pelosi, other US lawmakers visit Armenia as cease-fire holds

A US congressional delegation headed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi arrived Saturday in Armenia, where a cease-fire has held for three days after an outburst of fighting with neighbouring Azerbaijan that killed more than 200 troops from both sides. The US Embassy said the visit will include a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Japan issues rare special warning ahead of powerful Typhoon

Thousands of people were in shelters in southwestern Japan on Sunday as powerful Typhoon Nanmadol churned towards the region, prompting authorities to urge nearly three million residents to evacuate.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued a rare "special warning" for the Kagoshima region in southern Kyushu prefecture - an alert that is issued only when it forecasts conditions seen once in several decades.

with agency inputs