SWEDEN'S King Carl Gustaf (above) blew out the candles on his 50th birthday cake in Stockholm yesterday. Untroubled by the relentless pressure that has weakened other European monarchies, Swedes celebrated the birthday with street parties and parades.
Meanwhile some 600,000 people jammed the narrow streets of Amsterdam yesterday to paint the town orange in a 24 hour street party to celebrate the official birthday of Queen Beatrix. The city centre was festooned with orange flags and balloons in tribute to the royal house of Orange.
An English soccer fan denied he had done anything to provoke the Manchester United ace, Eric Cantona, into launching a kung fu kick against him, a court heard yesterday.
Matthew Simmons (21), accused of using threatening words and behaviour during an English Premier League match in January 1995, denies the charges.
The editor in chief of an Austrian news magazine was sacked yesterday after publishing a photo montage cover of Chancellor Franz Vranitzky's head on a naked male body. The sacking of Hubertus Czernin brought an outcry by staff of the magazine, Profil, and by national politicians.