Britain’s Prince William Wants to Help End Homelessness

Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Guildhall Windsor to thank volunteers and staff that worked on the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth, in Windsor, Britain, September 22, 2022. Ian Vogler/Pool via REUTERS/File photo
Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Guildhall Windsor to thank volunteers and staff that worked on the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth, in Windsor, Britain, September 22, 2022. Ian Vogler/Pool via REUTERS/File photo
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Britain’s Prince William Wants to Help End Homelessness

Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Guildhall Windsor to thank volunteers and staff that worked on the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth, in Windsor, Britain, September 22, 2022. Ian Vogler/Pool via REUTERS/File photo
Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Guildhall Windsor to thank volunteers and staff that worked on the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth, in Windsor, Britain, September 22, 2022. Ian Vogler/Pool via REUTERS/File photo

Britain's Prince William, heir to the throne, has told the Sunday Times he wants to help end homelessness across the country and is planning to launch "a really big project" later this month.

In an interview, the Prince told the newspaper that his and his wife's Royal Foundation would be behind the project.

William, 40, is a long term supporter of charities aimed at ending homelessness, a cause which was close to his mother's heart. As a young boy, Princess Diana took him to a homeless shelter and he is the patron of two charities focused on the issue, Reuters reported.

He said the project would provide "living conditions up and down the country that improve people’s lives who need that first rung of the ladder", according to the newspaper.

The Prince also suggested he would be prepared to build social housing on his land as a trial to see if it worked before scaling it up, according to the newspaper.

"Social housing. You’ll see that when it’s ready. I’m no policy expert, but I push it where I can," he is quoted by the Sunday Times as saying.

William took part in his father King Charles's first official birthday parade earlier on Saturday, riding on horseback to inspect soldiers with other members of the royal family.



Cold Winds Sweep Beijing, Closing Key Sites, Disrupting Travel

 A child dressed as the emperor reacts after retrieving his crown blown away outside the Forbidden City during high winds in Beijing, China, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP)
A child dressed as the emperor reacts after retrieving his crown blown away outside the Forbidden City during high winds in Beijing, China, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP)
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Cold Winds Sweep Beijing, Closing Key Sites, Disrupting Travel

 A child dressed as the emperor reacts after retrieving his crown blown away outside the Forbidden City during high winds in Beijing, China, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP)
A child dressed as the emperor reacts after retrieving his crown blown away outside the Forbidden City during high winds in Beijing, China, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP)

China's capital hunkered down on Saturday as rare typhoon-like gales swept northern regions, forcing the closure of historic sites and disrupting travel while bringing late snowfalls and hailstone showers in some areas.

Windows shook and trees crashed onto footpaths and cars, rocked by gusts of wind driven by a cold vortex from neighboring Mongolia that sent temperatures plunging by more than 12 degrees Celsius (22 degrees Fahrenheit).

The winds, which started on Friday, are set to continue over the weekend, packing gusts of up to 150 kph (90 mph), the official Xinhua news agency said. They brought late snowfalls in Inner Mongolia and hailstones in southern China.

Beijing issued its second-highest gale alert this weekend, for the first time in a decade, warning 22 million residents to avoid non-essential travel as winds could potentially break April records dating from 1951.

The winds dominated social media chats, with many people expressing concern for food delivery workers braving the conditions.

"In weather like this, we can choose not to order delivery - it's too hard for them," one Weibo user wrote.

By 11.30 a.m. (0330 GMT), 838 flights had been cancelled at Beijing's two major airports, the Flight Master tracking app showed, while the capital's historic sights and parks were shut, with some old trees trimmed in preparation for the cold blast.

The winds forced the postponement of a half-marathon set for Sunday featuring humanoid robots competing with humans in a bid to showcase China's technological advances.

Sandstorms raging over a stretch from Inner Mongolia to the Yangtze River region crippled road travel in eight provinces, Xinhua and state broadcaster CCTV said.

Sandstorms were expected to impact Shanghai from Saturday afternoon through to Sunday morning.

Strong winds bringing sand and dust from Mongolia are routine in spring, but climate change has made weather events more extreme.