Prince William Returns to Public Duties for 1st Time Since Kate's Cancer Diagnosis

Britain's Prince William helps to load trays of food into vans during a visit to Surplus to Supper, a surplus food redistribution charity, in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, Britain, April 18, 2024. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS
Britain's Prince William helps to load trays of food into vans during a visit to Surplus to Supper, a surplus food redistribution charity, in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, Britain, April 18, 2024. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS
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Prince William Returns to Public Duties for 1st Time Since Kate's Cancer Diagnosis

Britain's Prince William helps to load trays of food into vans during a visit to Surplus to Supper, a surplus food redistribution charity, in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, Britain, April 18, 2024. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS
Britain's Prince William helps to load trays of food into vans during a visit to Surplus to Supper, a surplus food redistribution charity, in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, Britain, April 18, 2024. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS

The UK’s Prince William returned to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife’s cancer diagnosis.
William visited a surplus food redistribution center and a youth club it serves, highlighting efforts to reduce food waste as a way to cut greenhouse gas emissions and feed people in need. The prince stepped away from public duties after Kate, the Princess of Wales, announced on March 22 that she was undergoing treatment for an unspecified type of cancer.

In a video message released that day, Kate asked for “time, space and privacy” as she and her family adjusted to her diagnosis.

“I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said at the time.

“It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay,” she added.

Both King Charles III and Kate have been largely absent from the public stage since January due to health problems, leaving Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and other members of the royal family to pick up the slack on the whirl of events and awards ceremonies that dominate the work of Britain’s monarchy.

Charles announced on Feb. 5 that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer following treatment for an enlarged prostate two weeks earlier. Kate’s diagnosis came after she was hospitalized in late January for unspecified abdominal surgery.



Emergency Declared on 2nd Greek Island as String of Quakes Persists

Residents and visitors of Santorini are forming queues with their cars towards the port of Athinios, as they leave the island due to the increased seismic activity of the last few days, Santorini island, Greece, 03 February 2025.  EPA/CHRISTOS YANTSIS
Residents and visitors of Santorini are forming queues with their cars towards the port of Athinios, as they leave the island due to the increased seismic activity of the last few days, Santorini island, Greece, 03 February 2025. EPA/CHRISTOS YANTSIS
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Emergency Declared on 2nd Greek Island as String of Quakes Persists

Residents and visitors of Santorini are forming queues with their cars towards the port of Athinios, as they leave the island due to the increased seismic activity of the last few days, Santorini island, Greece, 03 February 2025.  EPA/CHRISTOS YANTSIS
Residents and visitors of Santorini are forming queues with their cars towards the port of Athinios, as they leave the island due to the increased seismic activity of the last few days, Santorini island, Greece, 03 February 2025. EPA/CHRISTOS YANTSIS

Authorities declared a state of emergency on a second Greek island Wednesday as a series of earthquakes continued to rattle the south-eastern Aegean Sea region.
The emergency measure announced on the island of Amorgos follows a similar decision for nearby Santorini on Feb. 7 after thousands of unusual tremors were registered in an undersea area near the two islands, as well as the islands of Ios and Anafi – all popular tourist destinations, The Associated Press reported.
Scientists had expressed hope the seismic swarm could be easing up, but a string of earthquakes around magnitude 5 has renewed concern. Seismologists have also noted that the epicenter of the earthquakes is steadily drifting northward in the direction of Amorgos.
The emergency declaration will facilitate rapid deployment of resources and emergency services. The region has already seen a significant mobilization of fire departments, police, coast guard, and armed forces mostly on Santorini where thousands of residents and seasonal workers have left the island.
Overall, about 12,000 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 1 have been registered since Jan. 26, the University of Athens’ crisis management committee said earlier.
Although Greece lies in a highly seismically active part of the world and earthquakes are frequent, it is very rare for any part of the country to experience such an intense barrage of earthquakes for such an extended period.