The 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition is slated to kick off; a joint governmental review of the now grounded Boeing 737 MAX will begin; Japan will get a new emperor; WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is expected to appear at a court in London for an extradition hearing; and indecisive presidential election in North Macedonia will face a runoff.
These are the international events under the spotlight for the week starting April 29.
Beijing Int'l Horticultural Exhibition to kick off
The multicolored Guirui Theater, shaped like a butterfly, will be used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the upcoming horticulture expo. [Photo/Xinhua]
The International Horticultural Exhibition 2019, Beijing Expo 2019 in short, will take place in the Yanqing District of Beijing from April 29 to Oct 7.
Themed "Live Green, Live Better," the Beijing Expo 2019 aims to integrate horticulture in daily life and connect one's soul with nature.
As a worldwide event for the horticultural industry, the International Horticultural Exhibition gathers the industry's global elites and is committed to promoting global exchange in artistic and cultural developments.
Held only 10 kilometers from the Badaling Great Wall, the expo also is known as "the International Horticultural Exhibition at the Foot of the Great Wall."
Boeing 737 MAX joint governmental review begins
An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 sits at a boarding gate at LaGuardia Airport in New York, March 13, 2019. [Photo/IC]
The US Federal Aviation Administration said that a joint governmental review of the now-grounded Boeing 737 MAX will begin on April 29 and will include nine other aviation regulators from around the world.
737 MAX aircraft have been grounded worldwide following two deadly air crashes in half a year - that killed nearly 350 people.
China, the European Aviation Safety Agency, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates will all take part, the FAA said, in the Joint Authorities Technical Review (JATR) that is set to last 90 days, the FAA said. Most of the countries previously confirmed they would take part.
The team will evaluate aspects of the 737 MAX automated flight control system, including design and pilots' interaction with the system, "to determine its compliance with all applicable regulations and to identify future enhancements that might be needed," the FAA said.
Japan will get a new emperor on May 1
Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito, left, and Crown Princess Masako, right, smile at their residence Togu Palace in Tokyo in this handout picture taken on February 17, 2019, and provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. [Photo/Agencies]
Japan is gearing up to welcome a new emperor after its current one, Akihito, said he wanted to step down — the country's first abdication in some 200 years.
Akihito's son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will succeed his father on the throne on May 1, 2019.
The 59-year-old, who was educated in Tokyo and Oxford, is a keen historian, water transportation researcher, and memoirist. He has spoken out on environmental issues for decades.
He and his wife, Masako, have also openly discussed their struggles with mental health and the pressure to produce a male heir — providing the Japanese society a rare, frank glimpse into their lives.
Julian Assange in court for US extradition hearing
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen in a police van after he was arrested by British police outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, April 11, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London for an extradition hearing on May 2. It marks the next stage in a lengthy drama that might end with his extradition to the United States, possibly via Sweden.
Police arrested Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Apr 12, 2019, after Ecuador revoked its protection.
Assange had been holed up at the embassy since 2012, after Ecuador granted him asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden in connection with sexual misconduct allegations. Sweden is considering whether to reopen its investigations into the allegations.
WikiLeaks was already established as an online outlet for posting secret documents from anonymous leakers well before its massive disclosure in 2010 of US government and military information.
North Macedonia to hold presidential runoff on May 5
Presidential candidate of the ruling SDSM Stevo Pendarovski greets his supporters during a news conference in Skopje, North Macedonia, April 21, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]
North Macedonia will hold the second round of its presidential election on May 5, since none of the three candidates have secured over 50 percent of the votes to win the race.
The country's governing coalition candidate Stevo Pendarovski gained the largest number of votes in the first round of the presidential elections on April 21, according to the State Election Commission (SEC).
The SEC website showed that with over 99 percent of the ballots counted, Pendarovski has secured 42.84 percent of the votes.
Pendarovski is followed by the main opposition VMRO-DPMNE Party candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova with 42.24 percent of the votes.
The only Albanian candidate Blerim Reka has received 10.58 percent of the votes.
