News in Brief (2023-06-06)
Tuesday, 6 June 2023
Venezuela’s President visits Saudi Arabia
RIYADH, June 05: President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, arrived in Jeddah on Sunday. At King Abdulaziz International Airport, he was received by Deputy Governor of Makkah Region Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Cabinet's Member Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, and a number of officials. — Arab News
NZ gives former PM Ardern title of dame
SYDNEY, June 05: New Zealand (NZ) honoured former prime minister Jacinda Ardern with the title of dame on Monday, citing her leadership after the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ardern, 42, shocked New Zealand in January when she announced she was stepping down as prime minister and retiring from politics, saying she no longer had "enough in the tank". Her successor, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, said Ardern had been named a dame in the King's Birthday and Coronation Honours List. King Charles III, who was ceremonially crowned on May 6, is also head of state in New Zealand. "Having served as prime minister from 2017 to 2023, Dame Jacinda Ardern is recognised for her service to New Zealand during some of the greatest challenges our country has faced in modern times," Hipkins said. — AFP
Prince Harry fails to appear High Court in UK
LONDON, June 05: Prince Harry failed to appear on Monday at the High Court in London where he is suing a British tabloid publisher, with the judge saying he was surprised by his absence and a lawyer for the papers calling his no-show "extraordinary." Harry, King Charles' younger son, will face hours of questioning in the witness box on Tuesday, becoming the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for 130 years. He is one of more than 100 other high-profile figures suing the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, for alleged phone-hacking and other unlawful behavior between 1991 and 2011. — Arab News
1700-year-old statue of Pan uncovered in Turkey
ISTANBUL, June 05: An ancient statue of the Greek god Pan was discovered in urban Istanbul, the mayor of the mega Turkish city announced Thursday. A marble statue of Pan dating back to the Roman era was unearthed at the Byzantine church of St. Polyeuctus located in the Sarachane Archeology Park, Ekrem Imamoglu said on social media, adding the artifact was believed to be 1700-year-old. — Xinhua