King Charles III makes unannounced visit to N. Ireland

Pallade Veneta - King Charles III makes unannounced visit to N. Ireland

King Charles III makes unannounced visit to N. Ireland / Photo: Toby Melville - POOL/AFP

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Tuesday arrived in Northern Ireland on an unannounced visit, Buckingham Palace said.

Change text size:

The royal couple began their visit at Thompson Dock, one of the city's main tourist attractions and the last place that the Titanic stood on dry ground before her doomed maiden voyage in 1912.

The ship was built at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in the city before being finished at Thompson Dock.

Braving the rain and unseasonal spring temperatures, Charles and Camilla enjoyed a performance of traditional Irish music and dance and tried out some of the instruments.

They met organisers and performers of the all-Ireland Fleadh, the world's largest festival of traditional Irish music.

Belfast is due to host the festival for the first time in August.

Charles, 77, who is still undergoing treatment for an undisclosed cancer, has made numerous trips to Northern Ireland over the years both as king and heir to the throne before the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022.

The visit comes a day after Irish President Catherine Connolly said Charles had "graciously" accepted an invitation to Ireland after the two heads of state met at Buckingham Palace.

That trip is expected to take place next year and would only be the second such visit by a British monarch since Ireland's independence in 1921.

The late queen paid a state visit to Ireland in 2011.

Connolly met Charles on Monday on the first day of an official visit to England.

A.Saggese--PV

Worcestershire road closures announced for Remembrance Sunday events

MOTORISTS are being warned to expect road closures across Worcestershire this weekend as towns and villages come together to mark Remembrance Sunday. A number of parades and services will take place this Sunday (November 8), giving residents the opportunity to remember members of the Armed Forces who have served and lost their lives in wars and other conflicts.

Kuwait marks key events and anniversaries from national history

KUWAIT: Following are events that took place in Kuwait on November 4: 1984 — Poet Abdullah Al-Sanan, whose poems reflected social, economic and political changes, died at the age of 67. 1990 — Syrian forces arrived in the Saudi port of Yanbu to join the international coalition troops stationed in Saudi Arabia to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi occupation.

Qatar media bodies discuss support for humanitarian initiatives

Qatar Media Corporation, in collaboration with the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA), organized a seminar titled 'Developmental Media and Philanthropic Work: A Partnership for Sustainable Impact' to mark World Development Information Day. The event featured the participation of a distinguished group of media professionals, experts, and representatives from various charitable and humanitarian organizations and associations in Qatar.

Vessel operator seeks witnesses after Vancouver grounding

VANCOUVER — The operator of a vessel that ran aground on a sandbar off Vancouver last month says “malicious” tampering was the cause and he’s urging witnesses to come forward. Kevin Skewes, the owner of Spirit Cruises, says someone hit the Pride of Vancouver’s kill switch on the night of Oct.