Author: Gulf News Week
BBCSpeedy driver The Stig has always been a key part of the showTop Gear is to return to TV, the BBC has confirmed, four years after the show was “rested” when co-host Andrew Flintoff was injured in a crash during filming.The long-running motoring programme has been off air since 2022, when the former cricketer suffered serious facial and rib injuries when his open-topped three-wheeled car overturned at the show’s test track.He was one of three presenters at the time along with Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.The hosting line-up for the comeback has not yet been announced, although the Sun newspaper…
Watch: What caused the flash floods?Initial reports led authorities to believe that an earthquake had been the cause.1 hr agoAsia
EPAMembers of Norway’s royal family, including King Harald’s son, Crown Prince Haakon, have gathered at the hospitalKing Harald V of Norway is in an “extremely serious” condition in hospital, the country’s royal household has said.His wife, Queen Sonja, and his son, Crown Prince Haakon, have cancelled all royal engagements and they have gathered at his bedside at Oslo University Hospital with other members of the royal family.The 89-year-old has been in hospital for over a week receiving treatment for a rare blood condition, haemolytic anaemia. Having been on the throne since 1991, King Harald is Europe’s oldest head of state.King…
Aerial footage shows floods on Nepal-Tibet borderPreliminary investigations have pointed to a collapsed glacier as the cause of the flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border, highlighting the issue of rapidly melting Himalayan ice, scientists have told the BBC.Initial reports of an earthquake led many to believe that a tremor had caused a landslide, which in turn caused the flood that has killed at least 177 people.However, the US Geological Survey then clarified that the disaster was caused by a “glacial collapse”, which is when a glacier or part of a glacier disintegrates.The impact of the collapsed glacier hitting the bottom…
Getty ImagesNot many musicians would snub a chance to work with Elvis Presley. But when Dolly Parton did so, it made her millions.In 1974, after writing and recording I Will Always Love You, Parton was asked if Presley could cover the song. She turned him down after his manager demanded half the rights.”Of course, I cried all night about that,” she later said of the ordeal in an interview.But she wasn’t crying in 1992 when Whitney Houston’s power-ballad cover became a hit. Global sales of the song topped 20 million, earning Parton more than $10m in royalties, according to business…
People pulled from mud in Nepal after deadly flash floodsAt least 160 people have been killed along the Nepal-Tibet border as rescuers struggle to reach the disaster zone.2 hrs agoAsia
BBCMany AfD supporters believe modern Germany should be proud of its history and focus less on its Nazi pastA party that wants to defund “anti-German” art and teach children less about Hitler, as part of a “patriotism” agenda, could soon take power in a German state.The far-right Alternative für Deutschland party (AfD) is polling way ahead in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt before state elections on 6 September.It describes German memory culture, in its manifesto, as a “guilt complex”.It is a claim that is deeply divisive in a country where facing up to Nazi crimes has long been seen as…
ReutersPolka-dots, pumpkins and infinity room mirrors are hallmarks of Kusama’s artistryJapanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, who became famous later in life for her work in sculptures and installations, has died aged 97, her company has confirmed.The statement announced, “with profound sorrow… the passing of Yayoi Kusama at a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97″.”Throughout an extraordinary lifetime devoted entirely to artistic creation, Kusama pursued an internationally acclaimed career as a pioneering avant-garde artist whose creative practice encompassed visual art, performance, fiction, and poetry,” it said.Kusama, who had voluntarily lived in a pyschiatric hospital for…
Getty ImagesFrankfurt is Germany’s busiest airport Two Frankfurt Airport workers have died of malaria after a rare outbreak led to six employees contracting the serious infection spread by mosquitoes. It is believed the mosquitoes arrived at Germany’s busiest airport on a plane, according to German public health officials, triggering an outbreak which was first detected in July. A spokesperson for airport operator Fraport told the BBC an employee had died as a result of the infection, while public health officials said later on Wednesday that two of the affected individuals had died.Traps have been installed at the airport and mosquitoes…
Tim Curry, known for playing Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died.Stars of stage and screen have paid tribute to cult British actor Tim Curry, who has died at the age of 80.”What I loved about him most was his heart,” said Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon, who co-starred with him in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.Curry, who was born in the north-western English town of Warrington in 1946, passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday, said his manager. He had used a wheelchair since suffering a major stroke in 2012.In a career spanning six decades,…