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Just 21% say their views on the royal family have gotten more positive over the past decade, with another 41% saying their overall opinion has stayed the same. A CNN poll suggests attitudes towards the British royal family have worsened over the past decade, ahead of the coronation of King Charles III. Prince Harry (right) and Meghan (left) are among those members of the royal family rated most favorably by young people. Jamie Lorriman/AFP/Getty ImagesBut not all members of the royal family are viewed in the same light. The poll was conducted on March 24 through 26 among a random sample of 2,093 UK adults aged 18 and older.

☆ Ocean temperatures are off the charts right now, and scientists are alarmed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Ocean surface heat is at record-breaking levels. Since La Niña ended in March, ocean temperatures seem to be on a rebound, scientists say. Worrying impacts of ocean warmingWhatever the reasons behind the increase in ocean heat, the impacts are potentially catastrophic if temperatures continue to head off the charts. For now, ocean surface temperatures have started to fall, even if they remain high for this time of year. As scientists continue to analyze the reasons for record ocean warming, they are clear records will continue to be smashed as the climate crisis intensifies.

☆ Factbox: The crowns, jewels, swords and spoon used at King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - The ceremony for King Charles' coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday will involve historic regalia ranging from sceptres and maces to a ring and a spoon. It replaced an original crown believed to date back to the 11th century Anglo-Saxon king of England, Edward the Confessor. SOVEREIGN'S SCEPTRE WITH DOVEThis is the second sceptre used in the ceremony, representing the sovereign's spiritual role. It was used to anoint King James 1 in 1603 and has featured at every coronation since. They date back to 1661 and have been used at every coronation from King Charles II’s until King George VI’s in 1937, with new armills specially prepared for Queen Elizabeth in 1953.

☆ King Charles: A Life in Photos
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

King Charles III will arrive at his coronation on Saturday after nearly three-quarters of a century in the public eye. Cameras have shadowed him from the start. Often they were invited and tightly controlled, though sometimes with undesirable results nonetheless. And sometimes they were entirely unwelcome: Tabloids feasted on the drawn-out implosion of his first marriage, to Diana, Princess of Wales. This is a selection of the most memorable images from his long life as a prince and his new life as king.

☆ A King Who Actually Likes the Arts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

With these varied interests, Charles is the most culturally attuned monarch for well over a century. In the 17th century, Charles I, a patron of painters including Rubens and Van Dyck, built one of Europe’s most important art collections. But where previous monarchs were known for their passions, Charles has often been defined by the things he doesn’t like. In a phone interview, O’Regan said that once you “delved into Charles’s likes and dislikes,” a picture emerged of a man whose interests were “obviously nuanced.”“He’s someone who is clearly very affected by music and other arts,” O’Regan said. “I remember being so completely transfixed by the magic of it,” Charles said during a 2018 radio interview.

☆ William and Kate visit London pub ahead of King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jamie Lorriman/Pool via REUTERSLONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Prince William and his wife Kate took a trip by Tube to a London pub on Thursday and told locals that preparations are still being nailed down for his father King Charles III's coronation, the most significant royal event in a generation. King Charles will be crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday in a grand ceremony dating back some 1,000 years. "I hope all goes well, fingers crossed," said William, who pulled a pint of "Kingmaker" beer himself inside the 19th Century hostelry. Asked about the upcoming celebrations, Kate, who sipped a pint of beer as she chatted to the guests, said: “It’s going to be a busy time. On Saturday, William, the heir, and Kate will follow King Charles' golden coach in a carriage procession through central London.

☆ The procession path for King Charle’s coronation and the crowns and jewels he will wear
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The coronation ceremony will begin at 1000 GMT following a procession from Buckingham Palace. Coronation chair The coronation service is a solemn, religious occasion full of symbolism. The chair is being cleaned ahead of this year’s ceremony for King Charles. The bejewelled Sword of Offering, made for the coronation of George IV in 1821, is one of the objects used during the coronation ceremony. They date back to 1661 and have been used at every coronation from King Charles II’s until King George VI’s in 1937, with new armills specially prepared for Queen Elizabeth in 1953.

☆ Where the royal family goes in London, from Indian restaurants to theme parks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Well, they’re not, obviously – but sometimes they do put down their tiaras, leave their palaces and join the hoi polloi at restaurants, bars and even theme parks. He once called Brilliant Restaurant in Southall, west London his favorite Indian restaurant – and Gordon Ramsay is also a fan. Stuart C. Wilson/Getty ImagesBack in the noughties, party Prince Harry was a regular at Mahiki, a Tiki-themed bar-club-restaurant in Mayfair. Simon Dack/AlamyIn his memoir “Spare,” Prince Harry wrote about popping out to shop for clothes at T.K. Toby Melville/Getty ImagesThe-then Meghan Markle was apparently spied In the heart of Chelsea while she was engaged to Prince Harry, getting a facial from Sarah Chapman.

☆ Photo of Princess Charlotte released for her eighth birthday
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Prince and Princess of Wales have released a new photograph of their daughter, Princess Charlotte, to mark her eighth birthday on Tuesday. Shared the evening before her birthday, the photo shows Charlotte sitting in a white chair wearing a white floral dress and smiling at the camera. “Wishing Princess Charlotte a very happy birthday! 8 tomorrow,” the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Twitter account said, alongside a balloon and birthday cake emoji. Charlotte was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in west London and is third in line to the British throne, after her father Prince William and older brother Prince George, 9.

☆ Wrexham paint town red with open-top bus parade after promotion to EFL
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Soccer Football - National League - Wrexham Victory Parade - Wrexham, Wales, Britain - May 2, 2023 Fans light flares as Wrexham players celebrate with the trophy on the bus during the victory parade REUTERS/Carl RecineMay 2 (Reuters) - Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney ditched the star-studded Met Gala to join the Welsh soccer club's open-top bus victory parade on Tuesday as they celebrated their promotion to the English Football League. Wrexham secured a fairytale return to the EFL following a 15-year absence last month after beating Boreham Wood 3-1 to win the National League with a game to spare. The dollop of Hollywood glitz has made Wrexham's promotion one of the most unlikely and heart-warming stories for many a season. Wrexham said the parade was also to celebrate the achievements of their women's team, who achieved promotion to Adran Premier, the highest level of league competition for the women's game in Wales. Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Princess Anne: Slimmed-down royal family 'doesn't sound like a good idea'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —King Charles III’s sister Princess Anne has said that a slimmed-down monarchy “doesn’t sound like a good idea.”Comments by the Princess Royal, who is 16th in line to the British throne and is considered to be one of the hardest-working royals, were made during a wide-ranging interview Monday. In the years before Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the royal family’s advisers had been promoting the idea of a slimmed-down monarchy that saw senior family members like Charles and Camilla as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales take on more duties. “Well, I think the ‘slimmed-down’ [comment] was said in a day when there were a few more people around … [to] make that seem like a justifiable comment,” Anne told CBC News’ Adrienne Arsenault. “It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I would say. King Charles III and Princess Anne pictured at their mother's funeral.

☆ Unique fossil site discovered in Wales reveals early life
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Exceptionally well-preserved fossils of tiny worms, starfish, sponges, barnacles and other creatures with no modern parallel discovered at a quarry in Wales are painting a picture of life on Earth 462 million years ago. The fossils come from a period of time known as the Ordovician when life was becoming more complex. Most of the 170 animals discovered so far from the fossil site were tiny (1-5 millimeters) and many were either completely soft-bodied when alive or had a tough skin or exoskeleton. It’s a completely unique site,” said Lucy Muir, study coauthor and also an honorary research fellow at Amgueddfa Cymru Museum Wales. A crowdfunding project to buy microscopy equipment helped them identify the animals and understand the importance of the site.

☆ In Transylvania, Anyone With $200 Can Live Like a King. (Well, One Specific King.)
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( David Segal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Kalnoky, who is tall, urbane and fluent in five languages, was raised in exile in Paris, where his family resided after Communists took over Romania. As a count from Transylvania, he would like to cordially invite everyone to spare him the Dracula jokes. The story of how King Charles came to own a guesthouse in Romania starts with one of Mr. Kalnoky’s ancestors. That factory has long since vanished from what is today the right-next-door village of Zalánpatak, population 94. “As he was describing his dream house, I realized that I might know that very house,” he recalled.

LONDON, May 1 (Reuters) - After waiting longer than any British heir to become monarch, King Charles has quietly settled into his new role with little of the drama some commentators had expected, but with family divisions and some fundamental issues still looming. "I think we are all quite surprised at how well King Charles has begun," royal author Tina Brown told Reuters. Charles does not enjoy same support as his widely admired mother, but his public approval ratings are generally positive. For Charles, the most prominent issue remains the ongoing conflict with his younger son Prince Harry. "I think the public are thinking we've kind of heard all that, but normal life continues."

Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images Camilla stands next to Queen Elizabeth II during a Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images From left, Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the state opening of Parliament in May 2013. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William. Frank Augstein/WPA Pool/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's Queen Camilla Prev NextShe reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor in 1970 and they became friends. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.

☆ Australia's home prices rise again in sign of market bottom
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, May 1 (Reuters) - Australian home prices rose for a second straight month in April, in a further signal that the nation's property market may have hit a floor ahead of a central bank rate decision on Tuesday. Figures from property consultant CoreLogic released on Monday showed prices nationally rose 0.5% in April from March, when values were up 0.6%, indicating Australian home prices may have bottomed out after slumping 9.1% from May 2022 to February. We now expect home prices to rise by 3% in 2023 and forecast a further increase of 5% in 2024." Shane Oliver, chief economist at AMP, also no longer expects a top-to-bottom fall of 15-20% in housing prices, citing "a far worse property demand and supply imbalance" with immigration levels surging and supply remaining tight. PropTrack data on Monday showed that home prices rose 0.14% in April, bringing the cumulative increase this year to 0.75%.

☆ Australia's Origin Energy raises earnings view on unexpected UK gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 1 (Reuters) - Australia's Origin Energy (ORG.AX) on Monday sharply raised the full-year earnings outlook for its key energy markets division for a second time, helped mainly by a stronger-than-expected contribution from U.K.-based energy retailer Octopus Energy. Origin now expects underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for its energy markets division for fiscal year 2023 to be between A$950 million ($628 million) and A$1,200 million, much higher than the prior range between A$600 million and A$730 million. Origin holds a 20% stake in Octopus Energy, which last year contributed a loss of A$36 million to Origin's EBITDA. Shares of the Sydney-headquartered company were up 0.4% at A$8.38 by 0017 GMT. ($1 = 1.5124 Australian dollars)Reporting by Himanshi Akhand in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A drug dealer gave a one-star review to an Uber Eats rider who took a suspicious package to police. It turned out to be meth in a toothpaste tube.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A drug dealer gave an Uber rider a one-star review after she took a suspicious package to police. Jess told the Sydney Morning Herald it was "dodgy" when she was told the order was toothpaste. The package turned out to be two grams of crystal methamphetamine hidden in a toothpaste tube. While on her way, the drug dealer called and verbally abused her, the Herald reported. A week later the drug dealer was still on the app, along with the one-star review, while Jess had not been paid for the delivery.

☆ Under the Hollywood Spotlight, a Fading Welsh Town Is Reborn
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Euan Ward | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In the Welsh language, the virtually untranslatable word “hiraeth” (pronounced here-ayeth) describes a blend of nostalgia and longing for a time that can never be recreated. For Wrexham, a working-class town in northern Wales, it was a feeling that came to define a postindustrial malaise that descended in the 1980s as the last remaining coal mines shuttered their rickety gates and, later, the furnaces at the nearby steelworks ran cold. Only the beloved soccer club, Wrexham A.F.C., remained: the oldest team in Wales, a perennial also-ran but still an indomitable source of local pride. “We went through so much as a town,” said Terry Richards, 56, a lifelong fan of the club as he sat at home in the team’s bright scarlet jersey. “Those were difficult times.”

☆ Netflix offers 'The Crown' fans first glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton from Season 6
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Toyin Owoseje | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Ahead of the sixth and final season of its hit royal drama “The Crown,” Netflix has offered fans a first peek at the actors who will be playing Prince William and Kate Middleton. A first look at Prince William (Ed McVey) and Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy) from the sixth and ~final~ season of The Crown, coming later this year. The other images shared show Kate in a classroom, and William sitting on a sofa, wearing a blazer and tie. While William has appeared in the show as a child, the forthcoming season will depict him as an adult for the first time. Created by Peter Morgan, “The Crown” has become one of Netflix’s most successful original series since its premiere in 2016.

☆ Charles' coronation seized on by republicans as chance to ditch monarchy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

They believe Charles' accession to the throne presents their best chance of ending the monarchy, which traces its history back more than 1,000 years. Anti-monarchy protests are relatively small, and polls show the majority of Britons still want a royal family. Charles wants a slimmed-down monarchy which would be less expensive to run and his mother said the royal family only existed with the support of the people. Demonstrations against the monarchy are also planned in the capitals of Scotland and Wales on the day of the coronation. "Younger people are moving away from the royal family in their droves," he said.

☆ King Charles' rating dips, but half of Britons still happy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - King Charles' approval rating has dipped since he took the throne but nearly half of Britons still think he is doing a good job, according to a poll released a week before his coronation, while his daughter-in-law Kate is the most liked royal. The Ipsos poll released on Friday found 49% of the public believed Charles, who will be formally crowned on May 6, was doing a good job versus 9% thinking otherwise. "With less than two weeks until the coronation, King Charles may be happy to know that half of Britons think he is already doing a good job, numbers recent prime ministers would envy," said Kelly Beaver, chief executive of Ipsos UK and Ireland. A separate Ipsos survey also found 57% were satisfied with how Charles was doing his job, down 8 percentage points from when a similar poll was carried out in May last year. Among the least favourite members were Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, and the king's second wife Camilla, now the Queen Consort, the pollster said.

☆ Wrexham: An intoxicating tale of Hollywood glamour and sporting romance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

In an often brutal and bleak world, the recent resurgence of Wrexham, the city as well as the soccer club, lifts the soul. The Turf pub is a must-see for Wrexham fans. But now, there’s Wrexham with a story that, in hindsight, feels as if it was just waiting for Hollywood. One of Wrexham city center's shopping areas, pictured on April 22. Wrexham fans celebrate on the pitch after their team beat Boreham Wood at the Racecourse Ground.

☆ Gareth Bale: Wrexham owners make audacious attempt to coax Welsh football legend out of retirement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Oh, just arguably the greatest Welsh footballer of all time, Gareth Bale. In a video posted on the Twitter account of Rob McElhenney – one of Wrexham’s owners alongside movie star Ryan Reynolds – Bale is seen offering his well wishes to the club after its promotion. “Hi Rob, just wanted to congratulate you on your promotion and everything you’re doing at Wrexham,” the recently-retired Bale says. “Hey @GarethBale11, let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend 4 hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season,” McElhenney wrote. Gareth Bale is a Welsh football legend.

☆ Indigenous Australians file human rights complaint with pension funds over Santos gas projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 26 (Reuters) - A group of Indigenous Australians on Wednesday filed a human rights complaint against 20 large Australian pension funds for investing in Santos Ltd's (STO.AX) two gas projects, putting pressure on the funds over their fossil fuel investment plans. Three traditional landowners, in the complaint filed directly with the superannuation funds, alleged the funds had an "obligation to prevent adverse human rights impacts of companies in which they are invested". Commonwealth Super Corp, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super and AMP - the five largest pension funds - did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment. An appeal by Santos to resume drilling on its A$3.6 billion Barossa gas project off northern Australia was rejected by the federal court in December after indigenous groups raised objections. Santos then said it would apply for fresh approvals for its biggest project in line with the court's order.

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