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in order to cast their ballot when polling stations open in local elections next week, sparking concern that some parts of the electorate will in effect be disenfranchised by the change. Large parts of England vote in local council elections on May 4, and a national election is expected next year. In Northern Ireland and many countries in Europe, the need to produce photo ID is established and not unusual. But rapid adoption of this new system in England leaves campaigners fearing that voters will be caught out by the change. "There's a lot of risk in doing what is essentially the biggest change to our elections for a generation," she said.

☆ Wrexham: Paul Rudd films emotional moment between Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney after promotion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It was an emotional moment captured by fellow Hollywood stalwart Paul Rudd, who filmed the pair in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s 3-1 win over Boreham Wood. After a moment to themselves, Reynolds and McElhenney then shared a long hug before the latter appeared to wipe away tears from his eyes. Footage and photographs on social media showed Rudd drinking in the local pub and meeting excited Wrexham fans ahead of Saturday’s match. Martin Rickett/PA Images/Getty ImagesMany other celebrities took to social media to congratulate Wrexham after its promotion into the Football League. Rudd appears in photographs alongside Wrexham fans in The Turf Pub ahead of Saturday's match.

☆ Hollywood backers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney help springboard a Welsh soccer club back into the big leagues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WREXHAM, Wales - APRIL 22, 2023: Jordan Davies of Wrexham celebrates with fans as Wrexham win the Vanarama National League and are promoted to the English Football League after victory against Boreham Wood. Wrexham, the Welsh soccer club owned by Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, secured promotion back to the English Football League (EFL) system for the first time in 15 years. A 3-1 victory on Saturday over London-based Boreham Wood saw the club win the Vanarama National League title, powered by two second-half goals from talismanic striker Paul Mullin. The win meant Wrexham wrapped up the league title with one game to spare after a fierce challenge from Notts County. It will see the club ascend next season from the National League, the fifth tier of the English football pyramid, into the EFL League Two for the first time since its relegation in 2007/8.

The northern and southern lights, which are usually confined to the Arctic and Antarctica, have generated awe and wonder for centuries. The northern lights were visible over St. Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay, England on Monday. The southern lights glowed over Lake Ellesmere on the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand on Monday. Over the next few years, the northern lights might appear further south more regularly, said Robert Massey, executive director at the Royal Astronomical Society. A National Weather Service employee took a photo of the northern lights in Maine on Sunday.

[1/2] Hywind Tampen floating wind farm structures are being assembled at the Wergeland Base in Gulen, Norway, June 7, 2022. But by 2035, the LCOE for floating wind is expected to fall to about 60 euros/MWh. It plans to set a specific target for floating wind this year. Britain aims to have 5 GW of floating wind installed by 2030 but a report by the UK Floating Wind Offshore Wind Taskforce, said 34 GW could be installed by 2040 if ports were upgraded. "South Korea will be commercial the quickest," said Cole at Corio Generation, which has 1.5 GW of floating wind under development there.

☆ The TV Show Climbing Back Up the English Soccer Ladder
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Wrexham sealed a promotion to the English Football League after a victory over Boreham Wood on Saturday. Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty ImagesThe vast majority of Wrexham AFC’s century and a half as a soccer team in North Wales has been easily forgettable. The club has never played in the top tier of English soccer, nor has it ever won a major trophy. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney hoped that they could turn it into a winner. But they were certain they could turn Wrexham into a TV star.

☆ Wrexham secures promotion in front of jubilant owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Racecourse Ground, Wrexham CNN —Wrexham fans are still singing, they will likely be singing into the night, serenading their famous owners in the process, because the wait for promotion is finally over. On a raucous evening at the Racecourse, and with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – the actors who have transformed the club since their 2021 takeover – in the stadium, Wrexham secured promotion to the Football League after a 15-year absence. Wrexham will next season compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league. New Wrexham fans, from Ohio, Los Angeles, Washington and Arizona, had come to Wales this week; some had tickets, some just wanted to be in the city to see for themselves what they had watched on TV. When Reynolds and McElhenney took ownership of the club in February 2021 few could have imagined the impact the pair would make.

☆ British royals release new photos of Prince Louis to mark fifth birthday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Prince and Princess of Wales/Millie Pilkington/Handout via REUTERSLONDON, April 22 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate have published two new photographs of their youngest son Louis to mark his fifth birthday on Sunday. The photographs of Louis were taken by Millie Pilkington earlier this month in Windsor. In one, he is seen being pushed in a wheelbarrow by his mother, while the second is a close-up of a smiling Louis looking off to the side of the camera. Louis is a grandson of King Charles and is fourth in line to the throne, behind his father William and siblings George and Charlotte. Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Wrexham seal promotion to English Football League with blockbuster win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Soccer Football - National League - Wrexham v Boreham Wood - Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Britain - April 22, 2023 Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrate their third goal Action Images via Reuters/Ed SykesWREXHAM, Wales, April 22 (Reuters) - Wrexham secured a fairytale return to the English Football League after a 15-year absence with their Hollywood owners watching on as they beat Boreham Wood 3-1 to win the National League with a game to spare on Saturday. All eyes were on the Welsh club owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they sought the victory that would secure their emotional return to League Two. Wrexham then turned on the style after the break with striker Paul Mullin scoring twice, his second goal in the 71st minute kick-starting the promotion party. Promotion rivals Notts County had earlier beaten Maidstone 5-2 to raise the stakes but Wrexham responded in blockbuster fashion to seal the title. Reporting by Martyn Herman in London Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Why Wrexham?' Promotion provides an answer for Hollywood owners
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On a night of drama, with Boreham Wood scoring in the opening minute, Wrexham won 3-1 and the A-list owners were in the thick of the celebrations -- hugging players and wiping away tears of joy. "The one thing running through my head over and over again is people said at the beginning 'Why Wrexham? "For us to be welcomed into their community, and to be welcomed into this experience, has been the honour of my life." Wrexham, relegated from League Two in 2008, are going back up with a record haul of points and as champions with a game to spare. Notts County pushed them hard and will be favourites to follow Wrexham into the fourth tier after the playoffs.

☆ First metro train travels under Sydney Harbour
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A metro train has traveled under Sydney Harbour for the first time ever in what’s being described as “a historic first step” for the Australian city. It came over 91 years after the first steam train crossed over the Sydney Harbour Bridge back in January 1932. Courtesy NSW GovernmentThe $20.5 billion AUD (around $13.7 billion) Metro City and Southwest Line, an extension of Sydney’s Metro Northwest line, will eventually extend all the way to the suburb of Sydenham in the inner west of the city. Meanwhile, plans are also in place for a $27 billion AUD (around $18 billion) Metro West line underneath Hunter Street in the Sydney central business district. The city will have a network of four lines, 46 stations and 113 kilometers of new metro rail by 2030.

Coronations at Westminster Abbey go back almost one thousand years. Like Charles III, William had his coronation at Westminster Abbey. Gross says coronation blunders do not become truly significant for monarchs until their reign starts to go wrong. A “beautiful and symbolic” silver cross containing a piece of the so-called True Cross will lead King Charles’ coronation procession in London next month. Meanwhile, gun salutes will sound from military bases and ships at sea to mark the moment Charles is crowned King.

☆ Wrexham gears up for Hollywood-style promotion party
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Wrexham are on the verge of winning promotion to the English Football League having amassed a record 107 points to sit top of the National League table with two games to go. Victory over Boreham Wood on Saturday would guarantee promotion to Football League Two, the fourth tier of English soccer, and people in the northern Welsh city are gearing up for a memorable evening. . . no chance," Mark Jones said from the Turf Hotel, the pub on the corner of the team's Racecourse Ground. Games draw huge viewing audiences, even in North America and the success story has left virtually no-one in Wrexham untouched. Inside The Turf, pictures of Reynolds, McElhenney and Deadpool battle for space on the red walls with Wrexham logos and longtime supporters' names.

☆ In the Footsteps of Charles III
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Sarah Lyall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

No royal heir in British history has waited longer than Charles III, the king formerly known as the Prince of Wales, to ascend the throne. By contrast, Charles — the oldest Prince of Wales in British history to become king — was born a monarch-in-waiting and has had a lifetime to prepare. The public in turn has had a lifetime to get to know Charles, starting from his rarefied childhood in the public eye. But Charles was an unusually outspoken Prince of Wales. He has often waded into debates on unexpected topics like alternative medicine and organic farming (pro) and modernist architecture (against).

☆ Former Wales forward Robson-Kanu offers his services to Wrexham
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 19 (Reuters) - Former Wales forward Hal Robson-Kanu has offered to come out of retirement and play for Wrexham, the fifth tier club owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, with his salary donated to charity. Wrexham are four points clear of Notts County at the top of the National League with two games remaining after beating Yeovil Town 3-0 on Tuesday. "I’ll come out of retirement and come and play for @Wrexham_afc next season. I’ll also give my salary to the charity of the fans choosing," Robson-Kanu wrote in reply to an Instagram post by Reynolds after the Yeovil match. Robson-Kanu, now 33, was capped 46 times by Wales and scored a famous goal in a 3-1 win over Belgium in the 2016 European Championship quarter-finals.

☆ UK inflation rate surprises again with March figure holding above 10%
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

City workers in Paternoster Square, where the headquarters of the London Stock Exchange is based, in the City of London, UK, on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesU.K. inflation unexpectedly remained in double-digits in March as households continued to grapple with soaring food and energy bills. The consumer price index rose by an annual 10.1%, according to the Office for National Statistics, above a consensus projection of 9.8% in a Reuters poll of economists. On a monthly basis, CPI inflation was 0.8%, above a Reuters consensus of 0.5% and down from the 1.1% of February. U.K. Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt said the Wednesday figures reaffirm why the government must continue efforts to drive down inflation.

☆ Pope presents shards from cross of Christ for King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The new Cross of Wales, which will be used in the procession during the Coronation of Britain’s King Charles is seen before a service at Holy Trinity Church in Llandudno, Britain April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Phil NobleLONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has gifted fragments believed to be from the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified to form part of a new processional cross which will be used at the coronation of Britain's King Charles next month. It features two small shards from the relic donated by the pope which have been shaped into a cross behind a rose crystal gemstone. After the coronation, the cross will be shared between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in Wales. "We are delighted too that its first use will be to guide their majesties into Westminster Abbey at the Coronation Service."

☆ Factbox: Little known facts about King Charles: One-time jockey and hedgelayer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, April 18 (Reuters) - King Charles will be crowned next month at London's Westminster Abbey, following in a tradition that dates back some 1,000 years. Here are some little known facts about the monarch:FIRST REGAL SCHOOLBOYCharles is the first monarch to have gone to school, as all his predecessors were educated by private tutors. As part of his education, he spent two terms at Geelong Church of England Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia. SPORTYAs a young prince, Charles loved skiing, surfing, and scuba diving. MUSIC AND ARTS LOVERCAMBERLEY, ENGLAND - APRIL 14: King Charles III inspects the 200th Sovereign's parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on April 14, 2023 in Camberley, England.

☆ Women’s soccer is having a moment — except in the boardroom
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Norway’s Karen Espelund was “appointed” not “elected” to the position due to her role as chair of the Women’s Football Committee, UEFA told CNN Sport over email. Norwegian Football Association President Lise Klaveness told CNN that the popularity of soccer isn't mirrored in female representation at UEFA. We tend to forget that because we compare it to the phenomenon of men’s football,” Klaveness says. The prize money for this year’s women’s World Cup, which kicks off on July 20, will increase by 300% to $150 million, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced last month. “They don’t really know: What are the differences between men’s and women’s football?

☆ UK identifies several areas to scour for vital rare earth metals in push for minerals sovereignty
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pembrokeshire, Wales was one of the areas recognized by the British Geological Survey to be prospective for critical raw materials. Several large swathes of the U.K. on Monday were identified as prospective sites to search for critical raw materials, reflecting the country's push to deliver a domestic supply of rare earth minerals that are seen as crucial for a clean energy transition. Critical raw materials are economically important minerals and can be used to make the batteries and semiconductors that are vital to the global shift away from fossil fuels. The report was produced on behalf of the government-funded Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre, the country's first-ever center established to collect and analyze information on the supply of critical minerals. The mapping of these prospective areas for critical raw materials represents one of the first steps in the U.K. government's critical minerals strategy.

SYDNEY, April 16 (Reuters) - Fifty climate change activists were charged with unlawful protest near Australia's biggest coal export port on Sunday after protesters climbed on a coal train. Climate activist group Rising Tide, which claimed responsibility for the protest, said arrests were made when people were "occupying the train". "Twenty of the group scaled the train and used shovels to unload coal from the laden wagons," it said in a statement. Climate change is a divisive issue in Australia, the world's top exporter of coal. The protest group posted an image on Twitter showing protesters in front and on top of a coal train.

☆ King Charles has a personal fortune of almost $750 million — hundreds of millions more than the late Queen, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

King Charles has a personal fortune worth nearly $750 million, The Sunday Times reported. Analysis by the London newspaper found he is worth about $285 million more than the late Queen. It generated £23 million ($28.5 million) in profits last year and £212 million ($263 million) in the decade to 2022. He is likely to be ahead of David and Victoria Beckham, who were worth £380 million ($472 million) in last year's ranking, and Sir Elton John, who was worth £395 million ($490 million). As King, Charles is now in control of the Crown Estate, worth about £15.6 billion ($19.4 billion).

SYDNEY, April 15 (Reuters) - The second person ever charged with violating Australia's foreign interference laws appeared in a local court on Saturday following his arrest a day earlier. Court documents reviewed by Reuters on Saturday listed a charge of reckless foreign interference against Csergo, with the offence occurring between February 2021 and April 2023 in the Australian state of New South Wales and Shanghai. Csergo had recently returned from China and was arrested on Friday at a residence in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi, according to neighbours. The court document also named "Ken" and "Evelyn" as engaging with Csergo. The AFP will allege "Ken" and "Evelyn" work for a foreign intelligence service and are undertaking intelligence collection activities, the statement said.

☆ How Much Power Should the Courts Have?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Emily Bazelon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Many of the new constitutions gave the high courts clear authority to safeguard the rights of minorities and the democratic system. Some of the courts vigorously wielded this power to set aside majoritarian decisions that appeared to undermine democracy over the longer run. “If courts abdicate their responsibility to protect democracy, they’re not doing their job,” says Dixon, a law professor at the University of South Wales in Australia. In the 1980s, as Israel’s Jewish population became more religious and traditional, secular Israeli law professors drafted provisions for a constitution, consulting with their American peers and Aharon Barak, an Israeli Supreme Court justice. “Over the last 20 years, the Israeli Supreme Court, while issuing valuable rulings on the rights of women, L.G.B.T.Q.

SYDNEY, April 14 (Reuters) - An Australian man who had recently returned from China was arrested in Sydney on Friday and charged with a foreign interference offence, police, court officials and neighbours of the man said. The man, who the police statement did not name, operates a business overseas and had recently returned to Australia. Csergo was arrested at a residential address in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi, a woman who lived at the same address told Reuters. In the statement, police allege the arrested man was contacted while overseas by an individual claiming to be from a think-tank. Csergo is the second person charged with an offence since Australia introduced foreign interference laws in 2018.

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