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Norway’s King Harald V is in an “extremely serious” condition in hospital, according to the country’s royal household.

The 89-year-old monarch has been receiving treatment at Oslo University Hospital for more than a week after being diagnosed with haemolytic anaemia, a rare blood condition that reduces the number of red blood cells in the body and can cause fatigue and shortness of breath.

King Harald’s wife, Queen Sonja, and his son, Crown Prince Haakon, have cancelled their royal engagements and gathered at his bedside. Other members of the royal family, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Astrid, have also reportedly visited the hospital.

Crown Prince Haakon, 53, is the heir to the Norwegian throne and has been serving as regent while his father is on leave.

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also cancelled a planned trip to Germany, where he was due to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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“The whole nation is with us as we send warm thoughts to the king and the rest of the royal family,” Støre said.

Members of the public have begun leaving flowers in Palace Square outside the Royal Palace in Oslo as concerns over the king’s health grow.

King Harald has experienced several health problems in recent years and has had to reduce his royal duties. In 2024, he was fitted with a pacemaker after becoming ill while on holiday in Malaysia.

He has been on the Norwegian throne since 1991 and is Europe’s oldest serving head of state.

The royal family has faced several health and personal challenges this year. Crown Princess Mette-Marit underwent a lung transplant in June after being diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis in 2018.

The transplant came shortly after her son, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of two counts of rape. Høiby, who is not a royal figure, has denied the most serious charges and is appealing the sentence.

Earlier this year, documents also revealed Mette-Marit’s frequent contact with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She later apologised to the king and queen for her three-year friendship with Epstein and said she had shown “poor judgement”.

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Newborn babies in England will be tested for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) as part of a new five-year national trial examining whether the rare genetic condition should be added to routine newborn screening.

The study, led by Professor Laurent Servais, a paediatric neuromuscular disease specialist at the University of Oxford, will examine whether screening for SMA is effective, practical and cost-effective for the NHS.

The programme will begin with a phased rollout in Birmingham, Manchester and London before expanding nationally. It is expected to screen about 400,000 babies initially, with a full national rollout eventually reaching around 600,000 newborns each year.

Researchers expect the screening programme to identify about 60 babies with SMA annually. Children diagnosed through the programme will be followed for five years to assess their development, including when they learn to sit and walk, their quality of life and the level of care they require.

SMA is a rare genetic condition affecting about one in 10,000 people. It damages the motor neurons responsible for controlling movement and can cause muscle weakness.

In its most severe form, babies may initially appear healthy but can develop weakness, difficulty supporting their heads, breathing problems and problems swallowing within their first months of life. Without treatment, some children can die within their first few years.

Professor Servais said early diagnosis is important because once symptoms appear, some of the damage cannot be reversed.

The new screening programme follows a pilot study in the Thames Valley, which identified Teddy, a child from Chesham, with SMA when he was eight weeks old in 2023.

Teddy was diagnosed before he developed symptoms and was able to begin treatment quickly. He now takes the medicine Risdiplam every day and, at two and a half years old, is developing normally.

His parents, Hattie and James, said they had known very little about SMA before Teddy’s diagnosis and described the news as devastating. However, they were relieved that the condition had been detected before symptoms appeared.

The Thames Valley pilot screened more than 30,000 babies and Teddy was the only child identified with SMA.

SMA screening will be carried out using the existing NHS newborn blood spot test, commonly known as the heel-prick test. The test currently checks babies for 10 rare but serious health conditions.

Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson has also campaigned for newborns to be tested for SMA after her twin daughters were diagnosed with the condition at six months old.

Nelson said the introduction of newborn screening was a victory for families affected by SMA and could give future children a brighter start.

Researchers hope the national study will provide strong evidence about the medical benefits and potential cost savings of detecting SMA before symptoms develop.

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A Florida woman and her fiancé were accused of keeping four children in the cab of a tractor-trailer truck for several years without adequate education, medical care, or hygiene, according to court document.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said 51-year-old Keisha Monique Epps and 37-year-old Tamra Marshon Stewart were arrested during the first week of August 2026.

They were each charged with four counts of child neglect.

Authorities said they had been living in the truck with the children since December 2019.

“All of the victims disclosed that they have not been allowed to attend school for approximately five years and had not seen a doctor or dentist for urgent  or preventive care,” a detective said.

One child — who was allegedly s3xually assaulted by Stewart — had an untreated s3xually transmitted infection (STI) that “caused a fish smell,” according to the document.

The child was diagnosed with the STI during a medical exam in May by the Child Protection Team, authorities said.

Documents show the children told Epps about the alleged abuse, but “she did nothing to stop it” and “blamed them for Stewart’s behavior.”

When the children confronted Steward, he allegedly reacted “them by punching them in their heads,” according to the documents.

The report said capital s3xual battery charges would be filed by a prosecutor.

The documents note the children spent most of their days inside the cab. They allegedly shared a bed and could not lie flat in the bunk because it was too small.

Investigators said the children were rarely allowed out of the cab, including to use the bathroom.

The report also alleged the children were fed poorly and were not allowed to shower or exercise.

Authorities said Stewart watched the children while Epps drove the truck.

It wasn’t immediately known if the children were related to the suspects.

Epps’ bond was set at $100,000 on each count, or $400,000 total, documents show.

She was ordered to wear a GPS monitor and have no contact with minors, victims, witnesses, or co-defendants.

Documents show Epps is set to appear in court on September 3. Stewart is being held without bond.