25-10-2025

Month: December 2022

Plunging temperatures wreaking havoc across the US and Canada can lead to frostbite on bare skin in only five to 10 minutes, experts are warning.

A powerful Arctic winter storm has placed more than 135 million people under weekend weather alerts ahead of the busiest travel days of the year.

The alerts stretch from coast to coast and reach as far south as the US-Mexico border and Florida, the Sunshine State.

Major airports have cancelled thousands of flights as the storm intensifies.

The cold snap could bring the iciest Christmas in decades, say forecasters.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said temperatures of -50F (-45C) and -70F were possible by the end of this week in some parts of the country.

They warned that even in major metro areas, like the city of Des Moines, Iowa, frostbite will be a major danger.

Frostbite is caused when blood flow is reduced, often to extremities like the nose and cheeks or fingers and toes. The lack of warm blood can lead to tissue freezing and rupturing, and in some cases, amputation.

Meteorologists say the winter storm could become a “bomb cyclone” by Friday.

Bomb cyclone is a term given to an explosive storm that intensifies rapidly, with its central air pressure dropping by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.

 

“This is not like a snow day, when you were a kid, this is serious stuff,” President Joe Biden said in a White House briefing on Thursday.

The Arctic air mass is projected to bring strong wind gusts and temperature of 15F (-9.4C) to El Paso, Texas, where newly arrived undocumented migrants are sleeping rough on city streets.

The governor of New York state, Kathy Hochul, declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm.

The threat of flooding and ice jams are “going to wreak a lot of havoc in our community”, she said. Ice jams happen when large pieces of ice block the flow of a river and can cause flooding.

The governors of Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Oklahoma have also declared states of emergency, while Wisconsin declared an “energy emergency”.

WATCH: Extreme cold and blizzard conditions are causing chaos – and could be deadly

Ohio governor, Mike DeWine, called the weather a “unique and dangerous situation”, particularly as people travel to be with loved ones over Christmas.

Florida is projected to see its coldest Christmas in 30 years.

The NWS has described it as a “once-in-a-generation” winter weather event, saying on Thursday that “life-threatening wind chills” will strike the east coast on Friday.

Snow and powerful winds are expected to cause damage and power outages in the Midwest and Canada.

The NWS warned more than 100 daily cold temperature records could be tied or broken over the next few days.

  • In Colorado, temperatures dipped to a record-breaking low of -9F from 42F on Thursday
  • The city of Cheyenne, Wyoming, set a record for its greatest one-hour temperature drop, after going from 43F to 3F within 30 minutes. Elsewhere in the western state, temperatures have dropped as low as -35F
  • Nearly a dozen record low temperatures were also set in neighbouring Montana
  • Blizzard conditions have hit both North Dakota and South Dakota
  • In Chicago, a winter storm warning is in effect until Saturday, bringing with it several inches of snow and winds topping 50mph (80km/h)
  • In Canada, much of Ontario and parts of Quebec are also bracing for a major winter storm that is expected to last through the Christmas weekend

More than 5,300 flights in the US have already been cancelled on Thursday and Friday, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware.

In anticipation of travel disruptions, major airlines including United, Delta and American have offered to waive fees for travellers who wish to reschedule their flights.

Roads along the Colorado-Wyoming border were closed on Wednesday due to nearly zero visibility.

The United States has accused North Korea of supplying battlefield missiles and rockets to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for use in Ukraine.

The White House said the shipment violated UN Security Council resolutions and that it would announce further sanctions on Wagner.

Both North Korea and Wagner have denied the reports.

Fighters from the mercenary group have ballooned from 1,000 to nearly 20,000 in Ukraine, the UK government says.

The group has also been active recently in Syria and African countries, and has repeatedly been accused of war crimes and human rights abuses.

“Wagner is searching around the world for arms suppliers to support its military operations in Ukraine,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

“We can confirm that North Korea has completed an initial arms delivery to Wagner, which paid for that equipment,” he said.

 

The White House says the mercenary group took delivery of infantry rockets and missiles from North Korea.

Mr Kirby said Wagner is spending more than $100 million (£82 million) each month in Ukraine.

He added that the group now rivals the Russian military in power.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Britain agreed with Washington’s assessment.

“The fact that President (Vladimir) Putin is turning to North Korea for help is a sign of Russia’s desperation and isolation,” Mr Cleverly said in a statement.

But Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin denied the assertion, calling it “gossip and speculation”, while North Korea’s foreign ministry called the reports “groundless”.

Its position “remains unchanged” and the transaction of arms between North Korea and Russia “has never happened”, a North Korean spokesperson said.

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has been seen in leaked footage addressing prisoners in Russia

The Wagner group is believed to have first gone into action during Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Its owner, Mr Prigozhin, is an oligarch known as “Putin’s chef” – so-called because he rose from being a restaurateur and caterer for the Kremlin.

Wagner’s influence and presence has drastically strengthened as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has suffered multiple setbacks.

In March 2022, Wagner was thought to have sent an initial force of just over 1,000. But UK officials say that number has now grown to more than 20,000 – around 10% of the total Russian forces on the ground.

Wagner’s inflated ranks are linked to its targeted recruitment of convicts in Russian prisons. UK officials say open source estimates suggest that the numbers of convicts in Russian prisons fell by more than 23,000 in the two months leading up to November 2022 – the period in which it was recruiting.

Many convicts are believed to have joined Wagner – though there are no precise numbers. In return they have been told they will get paid and have their sentences commuted after serving six months on the front line.

The UK government may seek to block Scottish gender reforms making it easier for people to change gender.

It comes after the Scottish Parliament voted to lower the age when people can apply to change their legal gender to 16, and remove the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

But this has prompted a clash with the UK government who have concerns over safety for women and children.

Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish government says it will fight attempts to stop it.

On Thursday, members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) voted by 86 votes to 39 to approve the controversial self-identification system, which makes it easier for people to obtain a gender recognition certification (GRC).

 

The UK government could prevent the legislation becoming law by blocking Royal Assent – when the Bill gets formal agreement by the King and becomes an Act of the Scottish Parliament. It has also not ruled out mounting a legal challenge.

UK Minister for Women and Equalities Kemi Badenoch said the Scottish government has not addressed the implications of the bill on the lives of women and girls.

She said in a statement: “The UK government is now looking at provisions that can prompt reconsideration and allow MSPs to address these issues.”

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack warned: “We will look closely at that, and also the ramifications for the 2010 Equality Act and other UK-wide legislation, in the coming weeks – up to and including a Section 35 order stopping the Bill going for Royal Assent if necessary.”

Under UK law, it can apply to have Scottish laws struck down by arguing they would conflict with UK-wide equalities legislation. This power has not been used before.

Protestors against the reforms fear they will impact on women’s rights and single-sex spaces

But a spokesman for the Scottish government warned that any attempt by the UK “to undermine the democratic will of the Scottish Parliament will be vigorously contested”.

Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison, responding to Mr Jack, said: “It would be very disappointing if the UK government didn’t respect Scottish democracy and the decision of the Scottish Parliament.

“This area of policy is entirely within devolved competence.”

Previously, Ms Sturgeon said she would “never apologise for trying to spread equality, not reduce it, in our country”.

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill’s opponents, including nine SNP MSPs who voted against it, have fears over its potential impact on women and girls, in particular single-sex spaces, like toilets.

The Scottish government insists little will change and exceptions barring trans people from single-sex space in some circumstances in the Equality Act will stand.

The passing of controversial gender reform laws receive mixed reaction in the Scottish Parliament

People in Scotland have been able to change their legal gender from male to female or female to male since 2005.

The Scottish government believes the existing process can be intrusive and distressing and put people off applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate.

The new rules, which are expected to come into force some time next year, will mean applicants will now only need to have lived in their acquired gender for three months – or six months if they are aged 16 and 17 – rather than two years.

There will be also be a three-month “reflection period” during which they can change their minds and it will be a criminal offence to make a false declaration or false application for a GRC, with anyone who does so potentially facing up to two years in prison.

It will be possible to de-transition by going through the process again.

Nine other European countries have already adopted self-declaration systems for legal gender recognition, including the Irish Republic, Denmark, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland.

Also on Thursday, Spain passed a bill bringing it a step closer to allowing people to change their officially registered gender by filling in a form.

Hearses queue at Beijing crematorium, even as China reports no new COVID deaths

BEIJING: Dozens of hearses queued outside a Beijing crematorium on Wednesday, even as China reported no new COVID-19 deaths in its growing outbreak, sparking criticism of its virus accounting as the capital braces for a surge of severe cases.

Following widespread protests, the country of 1.4 billion people this month began dismantling its “zero-COVID” regime of lockdowns and testing that had largely kept the virus away for three years — at great economic and psychological costs.

The abrupt change of policy has caught the country’s fragile health system unprepared, with hospitals scrambling for beds and blood, pharmacies for drugs, and authorities racing to build special clinics. Experts now predict China could face more than a million COVID deaths next year.

At a crematorium in Beijing’s Tongzhou district on Wednesday, a Reuters witness saw a queue of around 40 hearses waiting to enter, while the parking lot was full.

Inside, family and friends, many wearing white clothing and headbands as is tradition, were gathered around roughly 20 coffins awaiting cremation. Staff wore hazmat suits. Smoke rose from five of the 15 furnaces.

There was a heavy police presence outside the crematorium.

Reuters could not verify whether the deaths were caused by COVID.

Narrow definition

China uses a narrow definition of COVID deaths, reporting no new fatalities for Tuesday and even crossing one off its overall tally since the pandemic began, now amounting to 5,241 — a fraction of what much less populous countries faced.

The National Health Commission said on Tuesday only people whose death is caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure after contracting the virus are classified as COVID deaths.

Benjamin Mazer, an assistant professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins University, said that classification would miss “a lot of cases,” especially as people who are vaccinated, including with the Chinese shots, are less likely to die of pneumonia.

Blood clots, heart problems and sepsis — an extreme body response to infection – have caused countless deaths among COVID patients around the world.

“It doesn’t make sense to apply this sort of March 2020 mindset where it’s only COVID pneumonia that can kill you, when we know that in the post-vaccine era, there’s all sorts of medical complications,” Mazer said.

Looming surge

The death toll might rise sharply in the near future, with state-run Global Times citing a leading Chinese respiratory expert predicting a spike in severe cases in Beijing over the coming weeks.

“We must act quickly and prepare fever clinics, emergency and severe treatment resources,” Wang Guangfa, a respiratory expert from Peking University First Hospital, told the newspaper.

Severe cases rose by 53 across China on Tuesday, versus an increase of 23 the previous day. China does not provide absolute figures of severe cases.

Wang expects the COVID wave to peak in late January, with life likely to return to normal by end-February or early March.

The NHC also played down concerns raised by the United States and some epidemiologists over the potential for the virus to mutate, saying the possibility of new strains that are more pathogenic is low.

Paul Tambyah, President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, supported that view.

“I do not think that this is a threat to the world,” he said. “The chances are that the virus will behave like every other human virus and adapt to the environment in which it circulates by becoming more transmissible and less virulent.”

Several leading scientists and World Health Organisation advisors told Reuters a potentially devastating wave to come in China means it may be too early to declare the end of the global COVID pandemic emergency phase.

Economic impact

The United States on Tuesday indicated it stands ready to assist China with its outbreak, warning an uncontrolled spread in the world’s second-largest economy may hurt global growth.

A major near-term concern for economists is the impact a surge in infections might have on factory output and logistics as workers and truck drivers fall ill.

The World Bank on Tuesday cut its China growth outlook for this year and next, citing the abrupt loosening of COVID measures among other factors.

Some local governments continue to relax rules.

Staff at the Communist Party and government institutions or enterprises in the southwestern city of Chongqing who have mild COVID symptoms can go to work if they wear a mask, state-run China Daily reported.

Other Chinese media reported similar moves in several cities.

Pakistan, UAE FMs urge Afghan Taliban to ‘guarantee women’s rights’

Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday urged the Afghan Taliban to “guarantee women’s rights, as well as the importance of full and equal participation of women and girls in all aspects of life”.

UAE’s top diplomat and called Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari discussed developments in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s decision to ban the education of girls and women in the country’s universities during a telephone call.

Both leaders emphasised that Islam has accorded women a privileged position, and safeguarded their rights.

“They affirmed the need to guarantee women’s rights, as well as the importance of full and equal participation of women and girls in all aspects of life,” said the Foreign Office in a statement.

During the phone call, both foreign ministers also underscored their firm position in support of security, stability, and peace in Afghanistan. They also called for the advancement of international efforts aimed at building a more sustainable future for the Afghan people.

Taliban ban university education for girls

On December 20, Afghanistan’s Taliban-run higher education ministry suspended access to universities by female students until further notice, drawing strong condemnation from the United States, Britain and the United Nations.

A letter, confirmed by a spokesperson for the higher education ministry, instructed Afghan public and private universities to suspend access to female students immediately, in accordance with a Cabinet decision.

The announcement by the Taliban administration, which has not been internationally recognised, came as the United Nations Security Council met in New York on Afghanistan.

Foreign governments, including the United States, have said that a change in policies on women’s education is needed before it can consider formally recognising the Taliban-run administration, which is also subject to heavy sanctions.

Pakistan urges Taliban to reverse decision

Condemning the decision to suspend university and higher education for female students in Afghanistan, Pakistan urged the Afghan authorities to revisit the ruling.

“Pakistan is disappointed to learn about the suspension of university and higher education for female students in Afghanistan,” an official statement from the Foreign Office read, adding that Pakistan’s position on the issue has been “clear and consistent”.

The FO added that “every man and woman has the inherent right to education in accordance with the injunctions of Islam.”

Female university students in Afghanistan were turned away from campuses on Wednesday after the Taliban-run administration said women would be suspended from tertiary education.

The decision to bar women was announced on Tuesday evening in a letter to universities from the higher education ministry, drawing condemnation from foreign governments and the United Nations.

COAS visits soldiers injured in Bannu operation

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir Wednesday visited soldiers injured in an operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu, the military’s media wing said.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the army chief met the injured officers and soldiers at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi.

The military men were injured during an operation conducted to free the hostages held by militants at a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) facility in Bannu.

While remaining with them for “some time”, the COAS inquired about their well-being and appreciated their high spirit and morale. He also lauded their professionalism during the operation against terrorists.

Militants overpowered the CTD personnel stationed at the centre last Sunday and held them hostage for three days. Coming into action, Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) stormed the facility Tuesday.

As a result of the operation, 25 terrorists were killed, two arrested, and seven surrendered, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said.

However, a junior commissioned officer and two sepoys were martyred — Subedar Major Khursheed Akram, Sepoy Saeed, and Sepoy Babar — while 10 soldiers, including three officers, were injured in the action, the military’s spokesperson said.

The military spokesperson expressed the security forces’ resolve to wipe out terrorism, adding sacrifices by the brave martyrs further bolster the determination.

Maj Gen Sharif further said that the latest wave of terrorism from the western border will not be allowed to emerge. “Whoever comes against us will be crushed,” he warned.

While speaking on the policy related to the banned Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan, which claimed responsibility for the attack, he said that no terrorist group will be allowed to flourish and writ of the state will be established at all costs.

In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made it clear that the state would not surrender or bow down before any terrorist outfit or organisation.

Condemning the terrorist incidents taking place in different parts of KP, PM Shehbaz, in a statement, said that nefarious attempts to spread chaos in Pakistan would be dealt with strictly according to the law and Constitution.

The government will deal with and address the terrorists and their external facilitators who disseminate and support it in Pakistan, he added.

The prime minister termed terrorism as a sensitive issue of national security, saying that collective thinking and action plan are needed in this regard.

Iranian FM confirms ‘friendly’ talks with Saudi counterpart

The Middle East’s leading Shia and Sunni Muslim powers — Saudi Arabia and Iran — have been on opposing sides of conflicts across the region, including in Syria and Yemen.

Iraq has hosted five meetings between Saudi and Iranian officials since last year in a bid to ease tensions, the last of which was in April, without achieving any diplomatic breakthrough.

Iranian Foreign Min­ister Hossein Amira­bdollahian, tweeting in Arabic, on Wednesday listed his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, as one of several foreign ministers with whom he had the chance to hold “friendly talks” on the sidelines of the Jordan conference. He said he also spoke with the foreign ministers of Oman, Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait.

Claims Prince Faisal assured of Riyadh’s willingness to continue dialogue with Tehran

The Saudi foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Amirabdollahian wrote that Prince Faisal “assured me of his country’s willingness to continue the dialogue with Iran”.

In separate comments reported by Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Amirabdollahian said he had “announced our readiness to continue the process that started in Baghdad”. “We are interested in resuming talks with Saudi Arabia and they also wanted it,” he said, according to IRNA.

 

Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have ticked higher since the eruption of protests in Iran, with the Revolutionary Guards telling Saudi Arabia to control its media and the Iranian intelligence minister warning Riyadh there was no guarantee of Tehran continuing its “strategic patience”.

Iran has accused its foreign foes of fomenting the protests, in which Iranians from all walks have life have taken part.

A top general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Esmail Ghaani, on Tuesday referred to Saudi Arabia — a long-standing ally of the United States — as “a scum and not worthy of being an enemy”.

Iran’s disputed nuclear programme has also added to tensions, with talks between Tehran and world powers on reviving Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement at a standstill since September.

Prince Faisal said earlier in December that the signs were “not very positive unfortunately”, and that Gulf Arab states would act to shore up their security if Iran were to obtain nuclear weapons, which Tehran says it is not seeking.

The meeting in Jordan, organised by France and Iraq and aimed at supporting stability in Iraq and the wider region, wrapped up on Tuesday with no word of a bilateral meeting between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

President Joe Biden has told President Volodymyr Zelensky the US will stick by Ukraine “for as long as it takes” in its war with Russia.

“You will never stand alone,” Mr Biden told Mr Zelensky as he visited the White House on his first overseas trip since the Russian invasion began.

Mr Biden confirmed a new package of more than $2bn (£1.7bn) in assistance for Ukraine and promised another $45bn.

Mr Zelensky expressed his gratitude for Washington’s backing.

At Wednesday’s joint news conference, Mr Biden told reporters he was “not at all worried” about holding the international coalition together.

 

Amid concerns that some allies may be feeling the strain of the conflict’s cost and disruption to global food and energy supplies, the US president said he felt “very good” about the solidarity of support for Ukraine.

Mr Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “no intention of stopping this cruel war”.

As Ukraine’s most important ally, the US has already committed $50bn (£41bn) of humanitarian, financial and security assistance – far more than any other country.

Mr Zelensky – wearing his trademark combat-green sweatshirt and boots – expressed hope that Congress would pass the extra $45bn in aid to Ukraine to “help us to defend our values, values and independence”.

Republicans – who will take control of the House of Representatives in January – have warned they will not write a “blank cheque” for Ukraine.

But Mr Zelensky, who travelled on a US Air Force jet from the Polish city of Rzeszow, said that “regardless of changes in the Congress”, he believed there would be bipartisan support for his country.

After the White House meeting, the 44-year-old Ukrainian president gave an address to a joint session of Congress, where he was welcomed with a standing ovation.

He told US lawmakers his country was still standing “against all odds” and predicted “a turning point” in the conflict next year.

While vowing Ukraine would never surrender, he said it needed more weaponry.

“We have artillery, yes, thank you,” he told his audience. “Is it enough? Honestly, not really.”

“For the Russian army to completely pull out, more cannon and shells are needed,” he added.

Concluding his speech, Mr Zelensky presented Congress with a battle flag signed by the defenders of Bakhmut, a frontline city in the east of Ukraine that he visited on the eve of his Washington trip.

The package of security assistance announced by Washington on Wednesday includes a new Patriot missile system, which is expected to help Ukraine protect its cities from missiles and drones that Russia has fired at critical facilities.

A rare moment of levity arose in Wednesday’s news conference as Mr Zelensky, a former comedian, answered reporters’ questions.

President Putin blamed the war on “the policy of third countries”

The Ukrainian president said: “What’s going to happen after the Patriots are installed? After that we will send another signal to President Biden that we would like to get more Patriots.”

“We are in a war, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,” he deadpanned in English, as the audience in the East Room laughed.

Mr Biden chuckled and said: “We’re working on it.”

Russia’s foreign ministry has said the delivery of the advanced surface-to-air missile system would be considered a provocative step.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Putin said he believed his country was not to blame for the war in Ukraine, adding both countries were “sharing a tragedy”.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the US military estimates that at least 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured, along with some 40,000 civilian deaths.

The UN has recorded 7.8 million people as refugees from Ukraine across Europe, including Russia. However, the figure does not include those who have been forced to flee their homes but remain in Ukraine.

A new government seen as the most right-wing in Israel’s history has been agreed, sealing Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power.

Mr Netanyahu, who won elections in November, is set to serve an historic sixth term as prime minster.

His coalition contains far-right parties, including one whose leader was once convicted of anti-Arab racism.

Palestinians fear the new government will also strengthen Israel’s hold on the occupied West Bank.

“I have managed [to form a government],” Mr Netanyahu tweeted, just minutes before a midnight local time (22:00 GMT) deadline set by the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog.

Mr Netanyahu’s coalition partners reject the idea of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict – the internationally backed formula for peace which envisages an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank alongside Israel, with Jerusalem as their shared capital.

The leader of the Religious Zionism party, which in alliance with two other far-right parties won the third largest number of seats in the knesset (parliament), wants to see Israel annex the West Bank and has been given wide powers over its activities there.

Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. More than 600,000 Jewish settlers live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The settlements they live in are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. Israel pulled its settlers and troops out of the Gaza Strip in 2005.

 

Israeli opposition politicians, as well as its attorney general, have warned that reforms planned by the incoming government – including giving MPs the right to overrule Supreme Court decisions – threaten to undermine Israeli democracy.

Coalition partners have also proposed legal reforms which could end Mr Netanyahu’s ongoing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Mr Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.

Israeli opposition and civil rights groups have expressed particular alarm at the inclusion of the far-right in the new government.

Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir is known for his anti-Arab comments and has called for the relaxation of rules on when security forces can open fire in the face of threats. Once convicted of incitement to racism and supporting a terror organisation, he is set to become national security minister with authority over the police in Israel and the West Bank.

The other far-right partner in government, Avi Maoz of the anti-LGBT Noam party, has called for Jerusalem’s Gay Pride event to be banned, disapproves of equal opportunities for women in the military, and wants to limit immigration to Israel to Jews according to strict interpretation of Jewish law.

Mr Netanyahu has accused critics of fearmongering and has vowed to preserve the status quo.

“I’ll have two hands firmly on the steering wheel,” he told US broadcaster NPR last week. “I won’t let anybody do anything to LGBT or to deny our Arab citizens their rights or anything like that, it just won’t happen. And the test of time will prove that.”

The King will ride on horseback, alongside the Prince of Wales, in his first King’s Birthday Parade as monarch on 17 June, Buckingham Palace has said.

Their wives, Camilla, the Queen Consort, and the Princess of Wales will watch the ceremony, known as Trooping the Colour, from carriages.

The annual display of military pomp and ceremony in central London marks the monarch’s official birthday.

It will come just weeks after the King’s coronation on 6 May.

Buckingham Palace also unveiled new honorary royal colonel roles of Foot Guard regiments – British Army regiments with special ceremonial roles.

Catherine has been named as colonel of the Irish Guards, taking over the role from her husband Prince William.

The Princess of Wales has been named the new Colonel of the Irish Guards

Camilla will become colonel of the Grenadier Guards. She takes over the role from the Duke of York, who was stripped of his military titles following fallout over sexual assault allegations, claims he made no admission of liability for and has always denied.

Meanwhile, Prince William will take the colonel of the Welsh Guards title from his father.

The pageantry of Trooping the Colour has marked the monarch’s official birthday for more than 260 years.

More than 1,400 soldiers will parade, with 200 horses and hundreds of army musicians taking part in a ceremony marked by military precision, horsemanship and fanfare.

The parade takes place at Horse Guards Parade, before the royal party return up The Mall for a Royal Air Force fly-past they will watch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Last year, the King, then the Prince of Wales, took the salute and inspected guards on behalf of his mother, the late Queen, in the ceremony which fell during her Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.

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