Briefly

UNITED KINGDOM

'Original' James Bond actor dies at age of 90

Scottish movie legend Sean Connery, who shot to international stardom as the suave, sexy and sophisticated British agent James Bond and went on to grace the silver screen for four decades, has died aged 90. The cause of his death is as yet undisclosed. Connery was raised in near poverty in the slums of Edinburgh and worked as a coffin polisher, milkman and lifeguard before his bodybuilding hobby helped launch an acting career that made him one of the world's biggest stars. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was "heartbroken" at the news. "Our nation today mourns one of her best loved sons," she said.

GERMANY

New airport finally lands during COVID-19

Nine years late and far above its original budget, Berlin's new airport finally opened on Saturday with little fanfare as the aviation industry struggles with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Construction of Berlin Brandenburg Airport started in 2006 and was initially due to open in October 2011.But a string of technical and planning problems forced officials to abandon six opening dates－most embarrassingly in 2012, just four weeks before flights were supposed to start. The airport has cost about 6 billion euros ($7 billion), three times what was originally planned.

Agencies