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Australian court bans man from contacting Norwegian princess studying in Sydney

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A 63-year-old man was banned on Wednesday from contacting Norway’s Princess Ingrid Alexander or her family for two years as she studies at a university in Australia.

David James Cook appeared in court where he was issued with a two-year Apprehended Violence Order that prevents him from entering the Sydney University campus, searching the 22-year-old royal online or contacting her or her family.

Such orders are intended to prevent an individual from subjecting another person to acts of violence, intimidation or harassment.

Cook told reporters as he left the Newtown Court House, in Sydney, that the order stemmed from a card he sent to Ingrid, who is second in line to the Norwegian throne.

“I sent her a card just asking for friendship, that’s all,” Cook told Nine News television. He added: “I did not intentionally upset her in any way and I wouldn’t do so. She’s a nice person. I bumped into her at an event and I followed up with the card.”

Cook was later charged with assaulting a news photographer after his court appearance. The photographer suffered minor injuries, a police statement said.

Cook was released from police custody and will appear in court on July 17 on the assault charge.

Ingrid has been living on the university campus in Sydney since she arrived in Australia last year for a three-year degree course in international relations.

The daughter of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit recently left Australia for Norway to visit her mother, who is seriously ill, according to media reports.

Child dies after inflatable castle tossed into air in Montreal park

MONTREAL (AP) — A 3-year-old girl died from injuries she sustained when strong winds tossed an inflatable castle into the air during a party at a Montreal park last weekend. Eleven people were injured with six of them sent to hospital when a bouncy castle and a tent were tossed by high winds on May 31 at Parc Ouellet in LaSalle, a borough in southwest Montreal, emergency medical services said. The government agency Environment Canada said wind speeds were up to 50 km per hour (31 miles per hour) on Sunday afternoon during a party held by a church. Coroner Martine Lachance has been assigned to investigate the causes and circumstances surrounding the death.
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