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Prince Harry event ticket prices halved ahead of Australia visit

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Prince Harry event ticket prices halved ahead of Australia visit

Organisers of a speaking engagement by Prince Harry have slashed the price of tickets – and are now offering them at half price as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to touch down for a tour of Australia.

Prince Harry is visiting Australia with wife Meghan – but ticket prices for his speaking engagement have been slashed (Image: Getty Images)

The price of tickets to attend Prince Harry’s concert on his Australia tour this weekend has been slashed and are now on sale at half price.

Harry and wife Meghan arrived Down Under on Thursday for a series of appearances, but ticket sales for the various events are not going well.

As well as ticket prices being cut for Harry’s speaking engagement, Meghan’s special retreat event has not sold out and organisers have released unsold tickets for last night.

Demand for Harry’s attendance at the InterAge summit in Melbourne is weak. Tickets, which were originally priced at £1040, are now listed at £520 on the event website.

Read more: The insider claims, ‘Harry and Meghan may consider returning to the UK if the Australia tour is successful. ‘read more: : Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s friend hits out at critics ahead of Australia tour.’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sit at a table at a World Health Organization event

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are heading down for a tour (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due to arrive in Melbourne for their unofficial visit, which will see the Prince, 41, deliver a keynote address on workplace mental health. Meanwhile, the 44-year-old former Suits actress hosts a “personal conversation” at a luxury Sydney retreat.

Royal podcaster Kinsey Schofield said the event promises “powerful conversations, relaxation, laughter and unforgettable experiences”. Attendees can pay to pose in a group photo with the Duchess and attend a gala dinner as a “personal interaction”, unlike the 2018 and 2026 visits.

The Duke of Sussex sits at the International Association of Privacy Professionals conference

Duke of Sussex is going to Australia for a tour (Image: Getty Images)

She said, “There’s something dramatically different about getting a glimpse of Harry and Meghan on the street when she’s fresh and upcoming and new, and she’s an actress, and you’re looking forward to seeing Harry, who a year ago was the world’s most eligible bachelor.

“And now you’ve got these two people saying, ‘For 3000 Australian dollars, you can hang out with me. It entirely changes the dynamics of your perception of them and the parasocial relationship you have with them.”

The Duke of Sussex will be joined by retired tennis champion Jelena Dokic and other speakers to discuss mental health issues at a two-day mental health summit in Melbourne Park.

The Duchess of Sussex wears a white shirt while listening to music during a visit to a youth center in North Jordan

Meghan to speak at two-day mental health summit in Australia (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

It is understood that Harry will be paid £36,000 or so for his keynote speech – a significant drop from the £740,000 he was paid to attend the JP Morgan event in February 2020.

Meanwhile Meghan is set to receive £185,000 to host a ‘Her Best Life’ retreat in Sydney, which runs from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 19.

Attendees are being charged £1600 each for access to the lifestyle entrepreneur at the Intercontinental Hotel in Coogee for the event, hosted by embattled radio star Jackie ‘O’ Henderson.

Although organisers had initially claimed that the special event, with a capacity of 300 guests, was sold out, the latest update suggests otherwise.

Organisers claimed on Instagram on Tuesday that the hotel had “released some additional rooms”, encouraging interested guests to enquire via direct message.

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Justin Rose: Masters ‘that ended because of 13-year major drought’

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Justin Rose: Masters ‘that ended because of 13-year major drought’

Justin Rose said his latest performance at the Masters was an “opportunity missed” as he let go of the final round lead and missed out on the green jacket once again.

The Englishman, a three-time runner-up at Augusta National, was unable to shed his ‘almost man’ tag as he finished joint third at 10 under – two behind Rory McIlroy, who defeated Rose in a play-off last year and successfully defended his title on Sunday.

Rose stormed the front nine and took the lead by two shots at the turn but faltered on the 11th and 12th holes of Amen Corner and was unable to recover.

The 45-year-old, who aspired to be the oldest first-time Masters champion, stated, “I wasn’t completely free and clear, nor was I close to completing the task, but I was in excellent shape.”

A bogey on the 11th hole halted Rose’s momentum, while a bad chip on the prestigious par-three 12th hole cost him another shot.

He found the par-five 13th green in two but sent an eagle opportunity whizzing past the hole and was forced to settle for par with a three-putt.

His bid for a second major title vanished with another bogey on the 17th, extending a drought of 13 years since his 2013 US Open victory.

Rose said, “I was really in control.

In the first 10 holes, I felt like I was racing through the finish line, with the mentality of not just trying to get it done.

“I was playing pretty well, but the momentum changed for me around Amen Corner. That three-putt was definitely untimely.”

Rose was praised for his great sportsmanship in congratulating McIlroy after last year’s play-off, and he received a warm welcome from patrons on the 18th, as he shot a two-under 70 to tie for third place with Cameron Young, Tyrrell Hatton, and Russell Henley.

However, Rose said that the underperformance this year was more disappointing than the play-off defeat 12 months ago.

“I feel like after a sudden-death loss, you know you’re home,” said Rose, who lost an Augusta playoff to Sergio Garcia in 2017.

“You’ve done everything you can to win, then sometimes it comes down to a coin toss.

“Today I felt like there was an opportunity to do better, so obviously it’s disappointing.”

Although it was “another little pinch” for Rose in his 21st Masters appearance, he hasn’t given up on his dreams of the green jacket just yet.

“I’ll just keep knocking on that door. See you next year, Augusta,” he posted on X.

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JD Vance opposed the Iran-US war but failed to end it. world News

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JD Vance opposed the Iran-US war but failed to end it. world News

The talks ended without an agreement after more than 16 hours of closed-door talks between the United States and Iran.

with US Vice President JD Vance citing setbacks, a lack of progress, and unresolved issues between the two sides.

Leaving uncertainty over the ceasefire, Vance blamed Tehran for reneging on nuclear commitments and shared no details on the next move from President Donald Trump, who has vowed to wipe Iranian civilisation off the map.

The US vice president, who never wanted Washington to go to war with Tehran, was assigned a rare diplomatic role to push talks between the warring countries but failed to secure an agreement. He returned to his homeland without any success.

Vance said on Sunday (April 12) that the 21-hour US-Iran talks led to “substantive discussions” but no agreement.

“We’ve been at the table for 21 hours and we’ve had many substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s excellent news,” Vance said. “The bad news is that we haven’t reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran; more than that, it’s bad news for the United States.

He underlined that while Washington has made its red lines clear and highlighted the issues it wants to accommodate, Tehran chose not to accept the proposed terms.

“So, we go back to the United States without coming to an agreement. We have made our red lines clear, as well as what we will and won’t accommodate. “We’ve made it clear, but they won’t accept our terms,” he said.

The US vice president said that, during the talks, Washington reiterated its demand for a firm commitment from Tehran not to seek nuclear weapons and the equipment to acquire them.

“We could not reach a situation where the Iranians were willing to accept our conditions,” he said.

He said the talks could not move forward, despite the US being very “flexible and accommodating.”

“We’re going in here with a basic proposal – a way to understand what our final and best proposal is. We’ll see whether the Iranians accept it or not.”

Vance offers ‘open hands’ ahead of failed talks

Vance began his visit to Pakistan, signalling optimism, and he offered Iran an “open hand” if Tehran negotiated in good faith.

He said the United States would “extend an open hand” if Iran was “willing to negotiate in good faith.”

On the other hand, Tehran has repeatedly threatened to refuse a direct meeting with Washington if it fails to meet its demands, including freeing up its assets and a Lebanon ceasefire.

Israel’s pressure to continue fighting Hezbollah highlighted the extent of events over which the United States had no control.

The talks were reportedly clouded with confusion after conflicting claims, as some Iranian officials told media outlets that the US had agreed to free Iranian assets held in Qatar before the talks began. However, according to The New York Times, the United States claimed that the reports were false.

Iranian state media later reported that the US team was “confused.”

The article attributed the failure of talks between Washington and Tehran to “excessive US demands” and said the points of contention were various issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear rights, and others.

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An easyJet flight takes off, leaving 100 passengers stranded. UK | news

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An easyJet flight takes off, leaving 100 passengers stranded. UK | news

The Chapman family was left behind with about 100 other passengers. (Image: Liverpool Echo)

More than 100 passengers were left stranded in Milan after an easyJet flight to Manchester took off without them due to huge passport control queues linked to new EU border checks.

Among those caught up in the chaos was 26-year-old Vicky Chapman, of Pensby, who was due to fly home on Sunday morning after a family holiday with her partner Adam Hoijord, her five-year-old son Fredrick, her mother Lynn Chapman, and her brother Dan Chapman.

The family was booked on an 11am easyJet flight from Milan Linate Airport to Manchester. She told the Liverpool Echo: ”

We got to the airport with more than enough time and got to our gate at 9.30am, but we were flatly refused entry through passport control.

We were told we were a ‘no show’ for our flight because we didn’t get to the gate on time, even though passport control didn’t let us in.

The 11 am flight was held up for 59 minutes but eventually took off as the crew approached the end of permitted working hours.

We were moved here and there for three hours, and no one helped us.” He further said, ”It was so hot at the airport that people were vomiting; individuals were almost fainting.”

Delays due to implementation of new EU border checks (Image: Getty)

Read more: Engineer suffers serious injuries after falling 35 feet from plane at UK airport

Read more: Major airports issue warnings to passengers as protests lead to traffic chaos

“We’re being told the earliest we can come back is Tuesday, and we have to fly to Gatwick. We have to pay out of pocket for an Airbnb.”

The flight to Manchester eventually took off, leaving Vicky and her family among the 105 passengers behind.

Another passenger, Kira, 17, from Oldham, told the BBC she felt unwell during the wait due to suspected food poisoning.

She said, “At about ten-fifty they brought out some water for people, and when we got to the front of the queue, someone asked us if we were going to Manchester and told us our flight had just left.

About 30 people boarded the plane, and about 100 did not.

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easyJet had offered £12.25 in compensation.

She said her family had spent around £520 on replacement flights to Gatwick and onwards travel to Greater Manchester and claimed easyJet had offered £12.25 in compensation.

Adam Lomas, 33, from Wakefield, who was travelling with his wife Katy and their four-month-old daughter, said some passengers had booked hotels, while others had travelled to various airports, including Pisa, to get home.

He said, “We are trying to find a hotel and we have to book a flight to London and then go from London to Manchester because our daughter is babysat there.

“The airport and easyJet have spent hours arguing with each other over who is to blame.”

The disruption comes just days after the EU introduced its new Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires certain travellers entering or leaving the Schengen area to provide biometric details, including fingerprints and photographs.

The UK government has warned travellers that the new system could lead to longer waits at border controls.

easyJet urges border authorities to do more to reduce delays amid new launch (Image: Romain Doucelin/Nurfoto/Shutterstock)

Foreign Office advice states, “It may take additional time for each traveller to complete the EES, so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border.”

An EasyJet spokesperson said, “We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers to allow extra time to make their way through the airport.

“We are making every effort to reduce the impact of airport queues, grounding flights to give customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight, including EJU5420 to Manchester.

“We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the flexibilities needed for as long as the EES remains in place to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers.

“While this is beyond our control, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

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Benin votes for new president, with finance minister favoring Talon’s successor

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Benin votes for new president, with finance minister favoring Talon’s successor

Dakar, Senegal — Voters in Benin voted on Sunday to choose a successor to President Patrice Talon, who is leaving a mixed legacy of economic growth, a growing jihadist insurgency in the north and repression of opposition critics after a decade in power.

Romuald Vadagni, the 49-year-old finance minister and standard-bearer of the ruling coalition, is considered Talon’s anointed successor. Vadagni is being challenged by the sole opposition candidate, Paul Hounkpe.

Nearly 8 million people are registered to vote at more than 17,000 polling stations in the West African nation. Benin had over 1.5 million people in 2024, and like many sub-Saharan African countries, its population is overwhelmingly young. Voting is expected to close at 4 pm and results are expected within 48 hours.

Analysts widely expect Vadagni to win parliamentary elections in January, during which the opposition failed to overcome the 20% threshold required to win seats, leaving Talon’s two allied parties in control of all 109 seats in the National Assembly.

Renaud Agbodjo, the leader of the Democrats, was barred from competing after failing to garner enough parliamentary support – a move critics say was designed to keep rivals out.

Vadagni has cited the country’s economic growth as his key strength during his decade as finance minister. Benin’s economy grew 7% last year, making it one of West Africa’s most stable performers.

“Ten years at the finance ministry have given him something rare in African politics: a quantitative record – verifiable and difficult to overstate in serious debate,” said Fiacre Widzinginou, a political analyst at the Lagos-based Behanzin Institute.

While Benin has historically been one of the most stable democracies in Africa,

Opposition leaders and human rights organisations have accused Talon of using the justice system to sideline his political opponents.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned the continued crackdown on dissent under Talon, citing arbitrary detentions, tight restrictions on public demonstrations, and increased pressure on independent media outlets.

Protests over the rising cost of living have occurred in recent years, but the government and security forces cracked down on any dissent.

In December, a group of military officers attempted to topple Talon’s government in a failed coup, the latest in a series. Recent attempts at military occupation across Africa. Most coup attempts are like this: disputed elections, constitutional turmoil, security crises, and youth discontent.

One of the main complaints of the coup leaders was the deterioration of security in northern Benin.

Benin has faced this issue issue for years: spreading violence. In their fight against the al-Qaeda-linked extremist group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, from neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger to the north.

The tri-border region has long been a hotbed of extremist violence, a trend worsened by a lack of security cooperation with Niger and Burkina Faso, both now led by military juntas.

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Why did the historic US-Iran summit end in Islamabad?

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Why did the historic US-Iran summit end in Islamabad?

High-level talks between the delegations of the United States and Iran in Islamabad ended without any breakthrough after 21 hours of talks.

Hours after the discussions ended, Iran’s chief negotiator for the Islamabad talks blamed the United States for failing to reach an agreement.

 

In a series of posts on Twitter, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the Iranian delegation provided a “forward-looking initiative” during the 21-hour talks, but the US “ultimately failed to gain our trust in this round of talks.”

“Before the talks, I stressed that we have the necessary goodwill and determination, but because of the experiences of the last two wars, we do not trust the other side,” Ghalibaf posted.

“America has understood our logic and principles, and now it is time for them to decide whether they can earn our trust or not,” he said. In a post on X, Ghalibaf also thanked “the efforts of a friendly and brotherly country, Pakistan,” for facilitating the process of these negotiations.

Iranian state media previously reported that key points of disagreement included Iran’s nuclear program and its transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

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M1 traffic live: Closed as air ambulance approaches ‘serious’ crash | UK | news

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M1 traffic live: Closed as air ambulance approaches ‘serious’ crash | UK | news

A busy stretch of the M1 has been closed in both directions as an air ambulance and other emergency services attend to a serious crash. The motorway is closed in both directions between Junction 21 (M69, Leicester) and Junction 20 (Lutterworth) in Leicestershire, close to East Midlands Airport.

Leicestershire Police, the East Midlands Ambulance Service, and the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene of the “serious collision.”.

National Highways have warned drivers of delays of more than 30 minutes compared to expected travel time.

The traffic situation is not expected to return to normal until after 5:30 pm. National Highways wrote: ”

The M1 was closed in both directions at 13:35.

The M1 was closed in both directions at 13:35 to provide a safe and sterile working environment for Leicestershire Police, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, East Midlands Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance Service at the scene of the serious collision.”

National Highways traffic officers are dealing with traffic management.”

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