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King Charles is expected to deliver an address to the 56 member nations at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting's official opening. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was greeted by High Commissioner Si'alei van Toor and Second Secretary Jonathan Lee after the Defence Force 757 successfully completed its journey from Wellington, just in time for a heavy downpour in Apia. Immediately afterwards, Luxon was taken to the headquarters of the Operation Resolution team dealing with the sinking of the navy ship Manawanui. He praised the team's efforts and said it was valuable to be on the ground and speaking to those - including the Samoans providing support - who were pushing ahead with the cleanup and potential salvage of the wreck. Luxon committed to supporting an oceans declaration from ...

Beachfront Fales at Sina PJ resort, Tafitoala Village, Samoa. Photo: RNZ/ Susana Lei'ataua It's a tale of two coastlines. On the north coast of Samoa's island of Upolu, King Charles and Queen Camilla have been welcomed to Apia for the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), with leaders from 56 countries. Their majesties stay at the luxurious Sinalei Resort and Spa at Siumu Village, and the international dignitaries and their delegations are on the P&O cruise ship Pacific Explorer, which is berthed in Apia Harbour while hotel occupancy is maxed in the island capital for the duration of CHOGM. The P&O Pacific Explorer, berthed in Apia Harbour for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Photo: RNZ/ Susana Lei'ataua However, on the idyllic south...

An application has been made to allow the Queen's Building on the royal Balmoral Estate to host weddings and other events. Photo: CC BY-SA 2.0/ Stuart Yates British head of state King Charles III's remote private estate in the Scottish Highlands could become an exclusive location for weddings, if an application to the local council is approved. Documents submitted for consideration next week by the Licensing Board of the local Aberdeenshire Council outline plans to allow "weddings, dinners, meetings and associated events" at the Queen's Building on the royal Balmoral Estate. The Queen's Building lies just north of Balmoral Castle near the estate's office and stables, and was built in the 1980s as staff quarters and a canteen. It was converted last year to accommodate dining for visitors...

By Jeff Zeleny and Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN Beyoncé was expected to appear with Willie Nelson at a rally for Kamala Harris. Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images via CNN Newsource Beyoncé will appear alongside Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally on Friday (US time) in Houston, a person familiar with the planning has told CNN, the first joint appearance with the music icon whose anthem has been the soundtrack of the Harris campaign. The appearance, in which Beyoncé will appear with Willie Nelson, is designed to be one of the biggest closing acts of the campaign. Since the moment Harris ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket, the vice president's team has been working behind the scenes to negotiate a joint appearance before Election Day. Beyoncé's team did not respond to...