Prince Charles and Camilla begin weeklong NZ trip
Wellington: Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in New Zealand on Sunday for a weeklong trip, during which they plan to visit the city of Christchurch and the historic treaty grounds at Waitangi, where the nation’s founding document was signed.
It is the couple’s third joint visit to New Zealand and their first in four years. Their plane landed in Auckland on Sunday afternoon. Their public duties were due to begin Monday when they planned to lay a wreath at the Mount Roskill War Memorial.
Among other engagements, the couple is due to meet with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday, visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on Wednesday, and on Friday visit Christchurch, where 51 Muslim worshippers were killed during a March massacre and rebuilding continues after a deadly 2011 earthquake.
During the trip, Charles plans to visit several organizations focused on environmental issues while Camilla will focus on groups that support women, including those who have survived domestic violence. Charles, who last week turned 71, is the heir apparent to the British throne. Camilla, 72, is the Duchess of Cornwall and the prince’s second wife. (AP)
Dubai Airshow opens as big Gulf airlines slow down purchases
Dubai: The biennial Dubai Airshow has opened as major Gulf airlines reign back big-ticket purchases after a staggering USD 140 billion in new orders were announced at the 2013 show before global oil prices collapsed.
The airshow, which runs from Sunday until Thursday, draws major commercial and military firms from around the world, as well as smaller manufacturers competing for business in the Middle East. The United States has the largest foreign country presence with over 100 companies represented.
The Chicago-based Boeing will likely use the airshow to emphasize its dedication to safety after crashes of its 737 Max killed 346 people. The planes have been grounded around the world, impacting customers like flydubai which has more than a dozen of the jets in its fleet and more than 230 on order. (AP)
Alleged Norwegian spy returns home after Russian prison time
Helsinki: A Norwegian man convicted of espionage in Russia has returned to his native country after a Cold War-style spy swap in Lithuania.
Norwegian news agency NTB said Sunday that Frode Berg was flown by private jet from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Gardermoen military air base near Oslo late Saturday.
His lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that the retired border inspector was relieved but “confused” to be back in Norway after been “in prison for two years in a foreign country under somewhat difficult conditions.”
Berg was arrested December 2017 in Moscow and handed a 14-year sentence on espionage charges for collecting information about Russian nuclear submarines. (AP)