Daily News Roundup

March 23, 2018

Image: ABC News

FRIDAY, MARCH 23

An American couple were on their honeymoon when they were killed in a helicopter crash off the Whitsundays in north Queensland, ABC news reports.

John ‘Pete’ Hansel, 79, and his 65-year-old wife Sue from Kailua-Kona in Hawaii died after the Whitsunday Air Services helicopter crashed near Hardy Reef Pontoon on Wednesday afternoon.

The woman’s daughter, 33, and her 34-year-old partner were also in the crash but avoided serious injury, as did the 35-year-old male pilot.

Friend Ronald Cole said John and Sue were members of their local Elks Lodge, a community and charity club.

“[They] always sat at the same place on the east end of the bar.

“They were constants in the club for years, and finally married at the end of last year. Very well liked couple, popular, she was very bubbly and drew him out of his shell.”

“They seemed to be so happy together”

He said there will be two empty chairs at tonight’s meeting at the lodge.

“Basically we’ll call their name three times and then they will say, ‘they are not answering and they have passed over and gone to the other side’.”

Friend Vern Ungerecht told local newspaper West Hawaii Today they were a happy couple.

“They were so looking forward to this. They were so excited about this big trip,” he said.

“It was a new experience for both of them. They were just all bubbly and happy about it.”

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Prince Harry and his American fiancee Meghan Markle have invited 600 guests to their wedding in May although who is on the list is not being revealed yet, his office says.

In the Reater report Ā Kensington Palace was quoted as saying all those invited to the May 19 ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, his grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s home west of London, would also be invited to the lunchtime reception afterwards.

Later in the evening, 200 guests will attend a private reception at nearby Frogmore House which will be hosted by Harry’s father, Charles, the Prince of Wales.

The palace said the invitations, die-stamped in gold with the edges bevelled and gilded, had been sent out this week. However, it said no details of who had been invited would be released at this stage.

“His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales requests the pleasure of the company of … at the Marriage of His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales with Ms Meghan Markle,” the invitation reads.

Men are instructed to wear “Uniform, Morning Coat or Lounge suit” and women “Day Dress with hat”.

About 1900 people were invited to the lavish wedding of Harry’s elder brother William and wife Kate at London’s Westminster Abbey in 2011.

Their guest list included celebrities such as singer Elton John, ex-soccer player David Beckham and his fashion designer wife Victoria along with royalty from around the world and political figures, although not international heads of state.

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US President Donald Trump has signed a presidential memorandum that could impose tariffs on up to $US60 billion ($77 billion) of imports from China, sending shivers through Wall Street and prompting a vow from Beijing to “fight to the end”, according to international news agencies..

Under the terms of the memorandum, Mr Trump will target the Chinese imports only after a consultation period, a measure that will give industry lobbyists and legislators a chance to water down a proposed target list which runs to 1,300 products.

China’s Washington embassy said it did not want a trade war, but would not recoil from one and would “fight to the end … with all necessary measures”.

It said it was “strongly disappointed” and it “firmly opposes” Mr Trump’s tariff plans.

China will also have space to respond to Mr Trump’s actions, reducing the risk of immediate dramatic retaliation from Beijing, and Mr Trump struck an emollient tone as he started speaking, saying “I view them as a friend”.

“We have spoken to China and we are in the middle of negotiations,” Mr Trump said.

He said the loss of American jobs due to unfair trade was one of the main reasons he had been elected in 2016.

 

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