LONDON: King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla’s state visit to the Holy See has been postponed because of medical advise that suggested Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday.
The British royals’ trip to the Holy See was scheduled to start on April 7, with a meeting with Pope Francis the following day. Their subsequent trip to Italy is set to continue.
“Their majesties send the pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in the Holy See, once he has recovered,” the palace statement said.
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King Charles cancels state visit to Holy See over Pope’s health
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King Charles cancels state visit to Holy See over Pope’s health
- The British royals’ trip to the Holy See was scheduled to start on April 7, with a meeting with Pope Francis the following day
Rescue operations end with 6 missing in New Zealand landslide
- Police Superintendent Tim Anderson said it could take several days to locate all of the bodies
- The six missing people, presumed dead, included one foreign national, Mans Loke Bernhardsson from Sweden
MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand: Efforts to rescue at least six people buried alive by a landslide at a New Zealand holiday park ended Saturday, with police shifting their focus to recovering human remains.
Police Superintendent Tim Anderson said it could take several days to locate all of the bodies, after a mountain of dirt and debris tumbled onto a campsite in Mount Maunganui on Thursday.
Anderson said it was “heartbreaking” that six people remained unaccounted for, including two teenagers, after camper vans, caravans and a shower block were buried by a mudslide brought on by heavy rain.
The six missing people, presumed dead, included one foreign national, 20-year-old Mans Loke Bernhardsson from Sweden.
The others were New Zealanders: Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50; Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71; Susan Doreen Knowles, 71 and 15-year-olds Sharon Maccanico and Max Furse-Kee.
For the past two days, the holiday destination in the northern part of the country has hosted a series of vigils, with attendees holding out hope that search and rescue personnel would be successful.
Anderson said however, it had become apparent that there was little chance anyone buried had survived.
“This is heartbreaking news for us and obviously the families involved,” he told reporters on Saturday, describing the rescue operation as complex.
“There’s still a lot of mud and other aspects, so my primary consideration today is actually the safety of the staff working on it.
“There are really strict parameters around those that are working on site right now.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed condolences and said the affected families would receive support.
“Police have confirmed fatalities at the campground and the reality that no one would have been able to survive, therefore the rescue operation taking place there is now moving to a recovery,” he said in a statement.
“To the families who have lost loved ones — every New Zealander is grieving with you.”
New Zealand authorities are facing questions over why people were not evacuated following reports of a landslip at the campsite and neighboring areas earlier on Thursday.
Two people died in a separate landslide on Thursday in the neighboring harborside city of Tauranga.
One of the people killed was a Chinese national, officials said.
Police Superintendent Tim Anderson said it could take several days to locate all of the bodies, after a mountain of dirt and debris tumbled onto a campsite in Mount Maunganui on Thursday.
Anderson said it was “heartbreaking” that six people remained unaccounted for, including two teenagers, after camper vans, caravans and a shower block were buried by a mudslide brought on by heavy rain.
The six missing people, presumed dead, included one foreign national, 20-year-old Mans Loke Bernhardsson from Sweden.
The others were New Zealanders: Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50; Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71; Susan Doreen Knowles, 71 and 15-year-olds Sharon Maccanico and Max Furse-Kee.
For the past two days, the holiday destination in the northern part of the country has hosted a series of vigils, with attendees holding out hope that search and rescue personnel would be successful.
Anderson said however, it had become apparent that there was little chance anyone buried had survived.
“This is heartbreaking news for us and obviously the families involved,” he told reporters on Saturday, describing the rescue operation as complex.
“There’s still a lot of mud and other aspects, so my primary consideration today is actually the safety of the staff working on it.
“There are really strict parameters around those that are working on site right now.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed condolences and said the affected families would receive support.
“Police have confirmed fatalities at the campground and the reality that no one would have been able to survive, therefore the rescue operation taking place there is now moving to a recovery,” he said in a statement.
“To the families who have lost loved ones — every New Zealander is grieving with you.”
New Zealand authorities are facing questions over why people were not evacuated following reports of a landslip at the campsite and neighboring areas earlier on Thursday.
Two people died in a separate landslide on Thursday in the neighboring harborside city of Tauranga.
One of the people killed was a Chinese national, officials said.
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