- Centre-left set to win pro-Ukraine Lithuania's vote
- India's World Cup hopes in Pakistan hands after Australia defeat
- Zelensky says NKorea sending troops to Russian army
- England beat Finland to get back on track
- King and Lewis propel West Indies to T20 triumph over Sri Lanka
- Pre-Halloween 'Terrifier' lands atop North America box office
- 'I still plan to compete and play next season,' says Djokovic
- Harris, Trump seek advantage in knife-edge election battle
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record in Chicago
- Kamindu and Asalanka power Sri Lanka to 179 against West Indies
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record as Korir wins in Chicago
- Spain send injured Yamal home 'to prioritise player's health'
- In milestone, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Iraq walks fine line with pro-Iran factions to avoid war
- Race four abandoned after New Zealand breeze into 3-0 lead in America's Cup
- West Indies win toss, put Sri Lanka in to bat in first T20
- Sudan rescuers say air strike killed 23 in Khartoum market
- Netanyahu tells UN to move Lebanon peacekeepers out of 'harm's way'
- Bangladeshi Hindus defy attack worries to celebrate festival
- Kiwis three up in America's Cup as Ineos pay for time penalty
- In a first, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Dominant England crush Scotland at Women's T20 World Cup
- Dropped: The rise and fall of Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam
- Israel fights Hezbollah on the ground, pounds Lebanon from the air
- Sabalenka outlasts local hero Zheng to win third Wuhan Open title
- Bangladeshi Hindus shrug off attack worries to celebrate festival
- Former Pakistan captain Azam dropped for second England Test
- 'Opportunist' Dupont dazzles on Toulouse return
- Australia replace injured Vlaeminck with Graham at Women's T20 World Cup
- Sinner wins Shanghai Masters to deny Djokovic 100th career title
- Ubisoft fears assassin's hit over falling sales
- Israel hits Lebanon from the air and fights Hezbollah on the ground
- China's Yin has 'goosebumps' as she romps to LPGA win in Shanghai
- Pakistan to re-use Multan pitch for second England Test
- Blair and King Charles hail Salmond's 'devotion' to Scotland
- Vietnam, China hold talks on calming South China Sea tensions
- SpaceX will try to 'catch' giant Starship rocket shortly before landing
- England captain Stokes in line for second Pakistan Test return
- Japan's former empress Michiko discharged after surgery: reports
- Japan's former empress Michiko discharged after surgey: reports
- Israel widens Lebanon strikes as troops fight Hezbollah along border
- Bowlers' graveyards: Pakistan's placid pitches under fresh fire
- 'Little Gregory' murder haunts France 40 years on
- Vietnam, China to expand rail links, cross-border payments
- Americans get their belief back as Pochettino makes his mark
- Vietnam, China to boost economic, defence cooperation
- Winning start for Pochettino's American adventure
- Tariffs, tax cuts, energy: What is in Trump's economic plan?
- Amazon wants to be everything to everyone
- US firms brace for more tariffs as election approaches
Denmark's Margrethe II, queen of hearts and the arts
Denmark's popular Queen Margrethe II, Europe's longest-serving monarch and last reigning queen after the death of Britain's Elizabeth II, is hailed for modernising Danish royalty in her half-century on the throne.
The chain-smoking 83-year-old -- an accomplished artist in her own right -- acceded to the throne at the age of 31 in January 1972, on the death of her father, Frederik IX.
She announced on Sunday that she would abdicate on January 14 and pass the baton to her son Crown Prince Frederik, citing her age and health issues.
She underwent major back surgery in February 2023.
She took the name Margrethe II in recognition of Margrethe I, who ruled Denmark from 1375 to 1412 but never formally held the title of queen.
When she was crowned almost 52 years ago, only 45 percent of Danes were in favour of the monarchy, most believing it had no place in a modern democracy.
But the cultured Margrethe has managed to stay away from scandal and modernise the institution -- allowing her two sons to marry commoners.
The Danish monarchy is now one of the most popular in the world, enjoying the support of more than 80 percent of Danes.
Margrethe is also Europe's only reigning queen, although four countries -- Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden -- have crown princesses.
- Resentful husband -
Nicknamed "Daisy" by her family and subjects, she repeatedly insisted that she would never step down from her duties.
"I will stay on the throne until I drop," she often said.
Aged 82, she rode a rollercoaster at Copenhagen's famed Tivoli amusement park, her hat fastened securely on her head.
But it has not always been plain sailing for Margrethe.
Her French-born husband, Prince Consort Henrik, was known for his flamboyant style and frequent outbursts of anger. He repeatedly expressed disappointment that his title was never changed to king when his wife became queen in 1972.
In 2002, he made headlines when he fled to his chateau in southern France, complaining he didn't receive enough respect in Denmark. He later said he did not want to be buried next to his wife because he was never made her equal in life.
Henrik died in February 2018, five months after being diagnosed with dementia.
Margrethe displayed the same steeliness in her recent very public quarrel with her youngest son, Prince Joachim, after she stripped his four children of their princely titles in 2022 to slim down the monarchy.
- Uniting force -
The queen was born in Copenhagen on April 16, 1940, just one week after Nazi Germany invaded her homeland.
The eldest of three sisters, Denmark's law of succession then barred women from inheriting the throne.
It was changed in 1953 following a referendum, under pressure from successive Danish governments mindful of a need to modernise society.
"She has managed to be a queen who has united the Danish nation in a time of large changes: globalisation, the appearance of the multicultural state, economic crises in the 1970s, 1980s and again in 2008 to 2015, and the pandemic," historian Lars Hovebakke Sorensen told AFP.
"The basis of her popularity is that the queen is absolutely non-political," he said.
Margrethe marked the 50th anniversary of her accession in January 2022 with a scaled-down celebration due to Covid.
The full festivities were postponed until September 2022, but had to again be downsized considerably after the death of her third cousin Queen Elizabeth.
Margrethe's eldest son, 55-year-old Crown Prince Frederik, is due to succeed his mother.
- Queen of arts -
With sparkling blue eyes and a broad smile, Margrethe is known for her relaxed and playful side, as well as for her involvement in Denmark's cultural scene.
A painter as well as a costume and set designer, she has worked with the Royal Danish Ballet and Royal Danish Theatre on numerous occasions.
She studied at Cambridge and the Sorbonne in Paris, and is fluent in English, French, German and Swedish.
She has also translated plays, including Simone de Beauvoir's "All Men Are Mortal" with her French-born husband under a pseudonym.
But it is primarily her paintings and drawings that have caught the public's eye.
She has illustrated several books, including a Danish 2002 edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", and her paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries in Denmark and abroad.
P.Silva--AMWN