Briefs: World fair on hold, flight man in court, truck crash

The New Zealand pavilion will feature the world-first legal status accorded the Whanganui River.

World fair on hold

Expo 2020 in Dubai has been postponed for a year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The world fair was to have started in October, in the United Arab Emirates. Its New Zealand pavilion will feature the world-first legal status accorded the Whanganui River in 2017. Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui chairman Gerrard Albert has said the planned pavilion will give visitors "a confronting and life-affirming experience".

Flight man in court

The man arrested at Whanganui Airport after allegedly arguing with cabin staff about wearing a face mask on an Air Chathams flight from Auckland appeared before a registrar at Whanganui District Court on Tuesday. Henderson man Louis Robin James Geros, 30, is charged that, while in an aircraft, he intentionally interfered with the performance by a crew member of his or her duties. He was arrested after the plane landed at Whanganui Airport late on Sunday afternoon. No pleas were entered and he is due to reappear in June. The charge carries possible penalties of two years' imprisonment or a fine of $10,000.

Truck rolled

A small truck tipped over on Holmwood Rd, off State Highway 3 at Kaitoke, on Monday, leaving behind a large spillage of debris. Whanganui police were notified about 9.45am of a single-vehicle collision on the road and emergency services arrived around 10am. Police say there were no reported injuries.

Project gains $1m

The Ruapehu Whānau Transformation Project is to get nearly $1 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to boost employment, skills and capability, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The money will go to iwi-owned Ruapehu Recruitment to expand it and provide digital training programmes, industry-specific training and employment advice.

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