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London, May 7 (IANS) A video of singer Katy Perry looking for her seat at King Charles III's coronation has taken over the Internet. However, she found her seat, says the singer.

A video of Katy in which she is looking confused as she is in search of her seat for King Charles III's coronation in Westminster Abbey on Saturday. After the clip went viral, she joked about the moment.

The singer, who looked drop dead gorgeous in lavender coloured Vivienne Westwood suit, dropped a hilarious note, saying: "don't worry guys I found my seat."

Apart from Perry, others who were seen at the coronation included actresseses Judi Dench, Emma Thompson, actor Stephen Fry, singer Lionel Richie, adventurer Bear Grylls and Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones, among many others.

The 2,200-strong congregation who gathered to watch the St Edward's Crown being placed atop King Charles' III head includes members of the royal family, including Prince Harry consigned to the third row, politicians, aristocrats, international dignitaries and celebrities.

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London, May 6 (IANS) The King's Coronation, the first in the UK for 70 years, is under way at the Westminster Abbey.

A military band played the national anthem as the King and Queen Consort set off from Buckingham Palace, as crowds erupted into thunderous cheers, BBC reported.

As the couple arrived at the abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, the King was seen smiling and waving.

Around 2,300 people are inside the abbey for the service, with Prince Harry arriving alongside his cousins.

Celebrity guests are also in place -- including actress Emma Thompson and US singer Katy Perry.

US First Lady Jill Biden, and her granddaughter Finnegan, arrived in a three-car motorcade. US President Joe Biden is not in the UK.

French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska are also in the abbey.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, along with leaders of the Commonwealth countries, entered with their respective flag bearers. The service, which began at 11:00 BST, will last for around two hours, the BBC reported.

A key theme of the Coronation for King Charles will be service -- and in his first prayer when he reaches the Abbey, he will say: "I come not to be served, but to serve."

Following the ceremony, the King Charles III and Queen Camilla will return to the Buckingham Palace.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, arrived from the US on Friday on a commercial flight, and was seen entering the abbey with his cousins Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.

It is the first time since he has been in public with his brother, Prince William, since his memoir, Spare, was released.

It is thought Prince Harry may fly back to the US just hours after the ceremony to rejoin his wife Meghan, as their son Archie is celebrating his fourth birthday.

On the procession route, umbrellas started to pop up as the rain arrives.

But despite the very English weather, there has been a celebratory atmosphere on The Mall, with periodic Mexican waves and police officers and security guards being cheered.

Among the spectators is Alexandra Hornyak, 57, from Montreal, Canada who will be watching from Green Park.

"I've known for years that I would want to attend this day, and the day that it was announced, I was driving to the office, and my husband just called me and said 'May 6'," she told the BBC.

"I knew exactly what it was. And I jumped on the phone to get a hotel reservation and we went from there."

Karen Daly, 54, from Birmingham, said, "We could have done this at home, but the atmosphere is so good and everyone's really happy."

"When the Queen died, we couldn't make it because we all couldn't get out of work. So we booked off as soon as we knew about the coronation."

Charles became King of the UK and 14 other realms in September, when his mother Elizabeth died after 70 years on the throne, the BBC reported.

Months of intense planning have gone into the coronation celebrations -- the 40th to take place at Westminster Abbey since 1066.

Unlike the procession route, there were no crowds outside the abbey, as it was closed to the public ahead of the service.

The service will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who will be assisted by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell.

"There have been wall-to-wall rehearsals this week, and indeed last week," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"None of us have done this for a very long time, so working out the choreography has been complex."

The high point of the ceremony will come when the St Edward's Crown is placed on the King's head, a moment that will be marked by the abbey bells and a gun salute in nearby Horse Guards Parade.

Camilla will be crowned alongside Charles -- and after the couple's long and often complicated relationship, she will now be officially described as "Queen Camilla".

The ceremony will emphasise diversity and inclusion, with more multi-faith elements than any previous coronation, with contributions from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh representatives.

A Bible lesson will be read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is a Hindu, and music will be sung in Welsh and Scottish and Irish Gaelic.

There will be women bishops taking part in the service for the first time in a coronation service that goes back almost a thousand years.

After the service, at around 13:00 BST, King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel in the Gold State Coach back to Buckingham Palace, in a spectacular mile-long (1.6km) procession, with 4,000 soldiers and 19 military bands.

When they reach the palace, it remains uncertain who will be seen with the King and Queen for the traditional balcony appearance.

There are plans for a flypast when the senior royals are on the palace balcony, but there will be concerns about the weather, with a forecast of cloud and showers.

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Islamabad, May 3 (IANS) Pakistan witnessed a slight increase in the number of terror attacks in April with a total of 48 incidents, which led to 68 deaths and 55 injuries, according to a new report.

In its report released on Tuesday, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said the new figures were higher than the 39 militant attacks recorded in March, resulting in 58 deaths and 73 injuries, reports Xinhua news agency.

The data showed a 23 per cent increase in militant attacks, a 17 per cent spike in deaths, and a 25 per cent decrease in the number of injured people, the Islamabad-based think tank said.

Fatalities among security forces also increased 35 per cent in April, it added.

Pakistani security have increased their operations against terror groups, the report said, adding that they killed at least 41 militants and arrested 40 in April.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the most affected province, with 49 per cent of the total attacks reported last month, according to the report.

Last week, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had announced that total of 293 people were killed and 521 others injured in 436 terrorist attacks in Pakistan since January this year.

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Kathmandu, May 3 (IANS) Four women and a man were reported missing following an avalanche in Nepal's Darchula district, a local official said.

Initially as many as 12 people were reported missing after the avalanche struck at 2.45 p.m. on Tuesday, but seven made contact with the local administration later, Kiran Joshi, the chief district officer, told Xinhua news agency.

"Five people are still missing. We're still unaware about their whereabouts. A team of rescuers have reached the incident site," Joshi added.

The officer said that rescue operation was hampered by continuous rain and snowfall.

"We're planning to send a helicopter for the rescue operation on Wednesday if the weather improves," Joshi added.

The locals were collecting yarsagumba, a caterpillar fungus, when they were struck by the avalanche, the official noted.

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Seoul, May 3 (IANS) North Korean youth and students staged a rally to denounce a recent agreement reached by the leaders of South Korea and the US on strengthening Washington's extended deterrence, Pyongyang's state media said on Wednesday.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the protest was held in South Hwanghae province on Tuesday to "sternly punish" the US and South Korea, or what it called a "gangster" and "puppet" state, respectively, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The KCNA said the participants, full of determination for revenge, burned an effigy depicting the "invaders and provocateurs", apparently referring to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his US counterpart Joe Biden.

The protesters also slammed Yoon's state visit to Washington as the "most hostile, aggressive and humiliating act of subjugating to the US" and a move to stage a "nuclear war" against the North, it added.

Yoon and Biden held a summit in Washington last week and announced the adoption of the Washington Declaration on strengthening US extended deterrence against the North's threats.

Extended deterrence refers to the U. commitment to mobilising all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.

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Dharamsala, May 3 (IANS) The Central Council of Tibetan Medicine with 598 registered medical practitioners from 22 different countries has condemned the recent "false" media reports and defamation against the 14th Dalai Lama.

"Tailored video of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama misused by Chinese Communist agents and some irresponsible media to malign the image of the Noble Laureate His Holiness the Dalai Lama has hurt sentiments of the entire Buddhist communities and the followers of His Holiness to a great extent. Media must apologise to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and his followers," the statement reads.

"We support your Holiness for your love and compassion to the entire humanity," it concludes.

Many other institutions and individuals have also issued statements in solidarity with the Tibetan spiritual leader urging the media to apologise to the Dalai Lama.

The development comes days after a viral video showed the Dalai Lama asking a boy to "suck" his tongue.

Many say the video in which the spiritual leader "kisses a child on the lips" was an attempt to vilify the Nobel Peace laureate who has spent decades trying to peacefully resolve China's brutal occupation of his homeland Tibet.

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Houston, May 3 (IANS) Following an extensive search involving over 250 US law enforcement officers, a man accused of shooting and killing five of his neighbours, including a nine-year-old child, in Texas was finally arrested, authorities said.

Addressing the media on Tuesday night, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said the suspect, Francisco Oropesa, was found in a house just miles from the home in Cleveland, Texas, where the brutal killings took place on April 29, reports CNN.

Oropesa, 38, was "caught hiding in a closet underneath some laundry", Sheriff Capers said, adding that "they (police officers) effectively made the arrest; he is uninjured; and he is currently being taken to my facility in Coldspring".

The mass shooting occurred at a private residence in Cleveland -- about 40 miles northeast of state capital Houston. The victims, were identified as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, nine.

They were all Honduran nationals.

At the same press conference, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul said that a tip submitted through the FBI's tip line ultimately led authorities to the suspect's location.

"We just want to thank the person who had the courage and bravery to call in the suspect's location," he said, adding that the tip came in at 5.15 p.m. on Tuesday evening and Oropesa was arrested at 6.30 p.m.

Although Oropesa's current immigration status is unknown, he had entered the US illegally and been deported by immigration officials at least four times since 2009, CNN quoted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official as saying who identified the suspect as Francisco Oropesa Perez-Torres.

An immigration judge first removed him in March 2009 before he was deported again in September 2009, January 2012, and July 2016, the official said.

It is not known how long Oropesa has been in the US since his last deportation.

Since the killings, authorities had urged the public to come forward with any information and devoted substantial resources to track down the suspect, including an $80,000 in rewards for tips leading to his arrest.

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New York, May 3 (IANS) Tesla CEO Elon Musk has agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a defamation case brought against him by Indian-American Sikh critic and independent researcher, Randeep Hothi.

Hothi, a doctoral student in Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan, had filed a defamation case against Musk in 2020, alleging that the billionaire businessman falsely accused him of actively harassing and "almost killing" Tesla employees.

Following a lengthy and hard-fought litigation, in March 2023, Musk asked Hothi to settle the case.

"This case was about taking a stand, not seeking fame or money. I feel vindicated," said Hothi, announcing that he accepted Musk's settlement offer in a statement.

"I brought this case to defend my work, clear my name, and send a message... I believe I've accomplished that, thanks in no small part to Musk, whose own behaviour over the last year has highlighted the need to scrutinise his every word and deed."

D. Gill Sperlein, one of Hothi's lawyers, said: "Last year, Musk famously promised that he would never 'settle an unjust case'. Yet, he has asked Hothi to accommodate him. We welcome Musk's belated acknowledgment that this case was just."

Hothi locked horns with Tesla after he created the @skabooshka Twitter account where he fact-checked Musk and his company's published claims regarding the electric vehicle manufacturer's automation, technology and production processes.

Beginning in 2018, Hothi, donning the role of a social activist, observed Tesla's production at its Fremont, California-based factory.

He also documented the construction of Tesla's Model 3 assembly line tent, sharing photos of his Twitter followers.

In April 2019, Tesla sought a restraining order against Hothi, alleging that the latter struck an employee with his car in a Tesla factory parking lot -- an accusation that Hothi vehemently denied.

When Hothi and his legal team successfully obtained a court order requiring Tesla to hand over video evidence of the alleged encounter, Tesla abruptly dropped its lawsuit in July 2019.

Yet the following month, Musk e-mailed a reporter accusing Hothi of "actively harassing" and "almost kill(ing)" Tesla employees.

That remark was later published and amplified to hundreds of thousands of people on Twitter.

Musk's accusations prompted an outpouring of public support for Hothi, including from whistleblowers, researchers, journalists, and critics.

In August 2020, represented by Sperlein, Hothi filed a defamation lawsuit against Musk based on his remarks.

Musk attempted to dispose of the case by arguing that his accusations were protected speech, and hence should be dismissed under California's anti-SLAPP law.

In January 2021, the trial court rejected Musk's arguments, holding that Hothi "has demonstrated the probability that he can succeed on the merits of his claim" because Musk's remarks were tantamount to an accusation of crime, and thus legally constituted defamation per se.

Hothi accepted Musk's settlement offer on April 30, and is expected to request dismissal of the case on May 1, pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement.

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Seoul, May 3 (IANS) South Korea's new coronavirus cases rose to over 20,000 on Wednesday as the daily caseload continued to log on-week growth on eased virus restrictions.

The country reported 20,197 cases, including 26 imported cases, bringing the total caseload to 31,212,598, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

Wednesday's tally was a marked growth from the previous day's 15,741 infections and also higher than 16,380 cases a week earlier.

The country added eight Covid-19 deaths Wednesday, raising the death toll to 34,505.

The number of critically ill patients came to 142, up from 137 a day earlier, the KDCA said.

"Following the removal of the mask-wearing mandate in March, we've seen an increase in the number of daily infections. New daily cases rose 3 per cent last week from a week earlier, though the virus situation has been managed in a stable manner," Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said.

In March, South Korea lifted the mask mandate for public transportation, though it remains for medical facilities, pharmacies and facilities vulnerable to infections, in an effort to support people's return to pre-pandemic normalcy.

The government is also considering shortening the mandatory Covid-19 isolation period to five days from the current seven starting this month.

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United Nations, May 3 (IANS) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed two new assistant secretary-generals to serve as deputy executive directors for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

According to a press note from the UN chief's office on Tuesday, both will be succeeding the current deputy executive directors, to whom the secretary-general and UNICEF are grateful for their dedicated service, Xinhua news agency reported.

Kitty van der Heijden of the Netherlands has been appointed as the deputy executive director for partnerships. She has been serving as the director-general for international cooperation in her country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2019.

She brings to the role a wealth of experience, having previously served as Vice President and Director for Africa and Europe at the World Resources Institute, as well as the Ambassador for Sustainable Development and Director for Climate, Energy, Environment and Water in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Van der Heijden holds a master's degree in economics from Erasmus University in the Netherlands and is fluent in Dutch and English, with knowledge of French.

Edward Chaiban of Lebanon has been appointed as the deputy executive director for humanitarian action and supply operations. He was recently serving as UNICEF's Global Lead Coordinator for Covid-19 Vaccine Country-Readiness and Delivery.

Chaiban has held various leadership positions in UNICEF, including regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, director of programs, director of emergency programs, and representative in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Sri Lanka.

Before joining UNICEF in 1997, he worked as a country representative for Catholic Relief Services in Haiti, Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan, and also as a program manager focusing on food security and child survival.

Chaiban holds a bachelor's degree in biology and political science from Tufts University and a master's degree in development and Arab studies from Georgetown University, both in the United States. He is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.

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