Newspaper Says Video of Prince William, Kate Should Halt Royal Rumor Mill

Commuters walk past copies of the Evening Standard featuring a picture of Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, on the front page at subway station in London, Britain, March 12, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Commuters walk past copies of the Evening Standard featuring a picture of Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, on the front page at subway station in London, Britain, March 12, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
TT
20

Newspaper Says Video of Prince William, Kate Should Halt Royal Rumor Mill

Commuters walk past copies of the Evening Standard featuring a picture of Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, on the front page at subway station in London, Britain, March 12, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Commuters walk past copies of the Evening Standard featuring a picture of Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, on the front page at subway station in London, Britain, March 12, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams

Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported — the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
The newspaper published a short clip late Monday that appeared to show William and Kate smiling as they walked together, carrying shopping bags. It said the footage was taken on Saturday in Windsor, west of London.
The Sun quoted Nelson Silva, who said he filmed the video, as saying, “Kate looked happy and relaxed. They look happy just to be able to go to a shop and mingle.”
The couple’s Kensington Palace office did not comment.
The palace has said Kate, 42, will return to official duties after Easter. That's likely to be once her children go back to school on April 17.
The Sun plastered its front page with “Great to see you again, Kate!” It said it had decided to publish the footage “in a bid to bring an end to what the Palace has called the 'madness of social media.'”
Feverish and at times fantastical speculation has swirled about the princess's condition during her absence. The palace has not disclosed details, but said it is not cancer-related.
Kensington Palace released a photo of Kate and her children George, Charlotte and Louis on March 10 to coincide with Mother’s Day in the UK But the move backfire when The Associated Press and other news agencies retracted it from publication because it appeared to have been manipulated, fueling even more conjecture.
Kate issued a statement acknowledging she liked to “experiment with editing” and apologizing for “any confusion” the photo had caused.



Syria Seeks EU Help to Battle Massive Wildfires

FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
TT
20

Syria Seeks EU Help to Battle Massive Wildfires

FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

Syria’s minister of emergencies and disaster management on Tuesday requested support from the European Union to battle wildfires that have swept through a vast stretch of forested land.

The fires have been burning for six days, with Syrian emergency crews struggling to bring them under control amid strong winds and severe drought.

Neighboring countries Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye have already dispatched firefighting teams to assist in the response.

“We asked the European Union for help in extinguishing the fires,” minister Raed al-Saleh said on X, adding Cyprus was expected to send aid on Tuesday, AFP reported.

“Fear of the fires spreading due to strong winds last night prompted us to evacuate 25 families to ensure their safety without any human casualties,” he added.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) office in Syria, the fires impacted “some 5,000 persons, including displacements, across 60 communities.”

An estimated 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) of forest and farmland -- more than three percent of Syria’s forest cover -- have burned, OCHA told AFP.

At least seven towns in Latakia province have been evacuated as a precaution.

Efforts to extinguish the fires have been hindered by “rugged terrain, the absence of firebreaks, strong winds, and the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance”, Saleh said.

With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall.

In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said Syria had “not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.”