Breaking news of Saturday, 29 August 2026
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2 checks · 5 flash
- 21:01
Nepal, flood death toll rises from 616 to 675
Nepalese authorities updated the death toll from the August 26 flood in the evening: 675 dead, against the 616 reported by police in the morning and already published by this newspaper. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has registered 2,498 missing in Nepal; in Tibet, Chinese authorities count 7 dead and 554 missing, and it is unclear to what extent the two lists overlap. About 900 hydroelectric plant workers remain unaccounted for, 361 have been recovered. The Nepalese army has airlifted more than 2,500 people to safety, including 216 foreigners. (CNN, NBC News)
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- 21:01
Iceland, polls close on restarting negotiations with the European Union
Polls closed at 22:00 local time in Iceland’s consultative referendum on reopening European Union accession negotiations, suspended since 2013. The vote does not decide on membership: a second referendum would be required at the end of the talks. Preliminary turnout is reported as high; initial indications were expected before midnight, with results due in the early hours of Sunday. This week’s polls showed a substantial tie: one Gallup survey put No at 51.6%, another put Yes at 51.3%. According to a Foreign Ministry memo, in the event of a Yes vote, talks could last 18-24 months. (RTÉ, Brussels Signal)
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- 12:01
Trump announces oil deal with Caracas: no text released
Overnight Italian time, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social a deal that would give the United States majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan reserves, relaunched by Axios and Al Jazeera. Acting president Delcy Rodríguez speaks of 17 fields, more than 100 billion in investments and 209 billion in revenue: “a historic milestone.” No document has been published: a U.S. government source cited by Axios describes equity stakes and supplies guaranteed at cost price, not a purchase. WTI crude closed the week down about 4%.
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- 12:01
Norway, Haakon VIII succeeds Harald V
The Royal Palace of Norway has announced the death of King Harald V, which occurred on Friday morning at Oslo University Hospital at the age of 89: he was the oldest reigning monarch in Europe, on the throne since January 1991. His son Haakon, 53, already regent, succeeds him automatically as Haakon VIII, with Mette-Marit as queen; the succession is automatic because the country cannot remain without a head of state. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke of a nation in mourning (Al Jazeera, NPR). The dates for the funeral and the proclamation have yet to be set.
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- 12:01
Nepal-Tibet, flood death toll rises to 616
The death toll from the flash flood of August 26 on the border between Nepal and China has risen to 616 victims: this is the update released by Nepalese police on Saturday morning and reported by CNN. Around 2,500 people remain unaccounted for on both sides of the border, and 2,301 injured are receiving treatment. The previous figure, in ABC’s live coverage, was 579 dead in Nepal and 5 in Tibet. More rain is expected, and authorities are monitoring a second lake that recently formed. Kathmandu has declined international assistance for search operations. UN Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher: “we should take those warnings very, very seriously” (transl. from English).
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