Five Big Things That Happened Today: Friday, October 31

Buckingham Palace has initiated a formal process to strip Prince Andrew of his 'prince' title.

Prince Andrew loses royal titles, asbestos fears after pub fire closes schools in Palmerston North, and the word of the year is revealed.

Prince Andrew to lose 'prince' title – ordered to leave royal lodge

Prince Andrew will no longer be known as a "prince" and has been ordered to leave the royal lodge with immediate effect, according to Buckingham Palace.

The process means Andrew will no longer hold the titles of Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh, or the style ‘His Royal Highness’. He will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

Andrew's two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their titles.

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Palmerston North blaze that closed schools due to asbestos fears deemed 'suspicious' by police

A fire at a former Palmerston North pub that closed six schools and five early childhood centres due to fears of asbestos contamination has been deemed "suspicious" by police.

An emergency alert was issued for city residents which asked them to stay inside, close all windows and doors, and consider turning off air conditioning and heat pumps.

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Two 'short-lived' eruptions confirmed at Whakaari/White Island

Two "short" eruptions were observed at Whakaari/White Island yesterday afternoon, volcanologists have confirmed.

Both were described by Earth Sciences NZ as small, low-energy events, with the latter depositing ash close to the island.

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Watch: Prince Andrew evicted from royal residence, stripped of titles

"His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

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ONE WORD OF THE YEAR

Dictionary.com has announced its 2025 word of the year- but it isn't really a word.

The site said its annual selection is a linguistic time capsule reflecting social trends and events but admitted it too is a bit confused by this year's winning pick.

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