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☆ King Charles III Coronation: Church of England changes wording of public declaration, following backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Florence Davey-Attlee Max Foster Richard Quest | Florence Davey-Attlee | Max Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Church of England has changed the wording of its invitation to the public to pledge allegiance to King Charles during his coronation, following a public backlash. The Archbishop of Canterbury will now give people the option of saying just “God save King Charles” rather than making the full pledge of allegiance. The move follows widespread criticism of the proposed pledge. So help me God.”In a previous version of the text, published in April, the archbishop was to “call upon all persons of goodwill in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other realms and the territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted king, defender of all.”The earlier version had been described as “ill-advised” by a prominent friend of the King. Sign up for CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.

☆ The Coronation of King Charles: Order of Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +46 min

The Archbishop saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? Christopher Finney GC saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? We praise thee, we bless thee,we worship thee, we glorify thee,we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O clap your hands together, all ye people;O sing unto God with the voice of melody. The King touches the Ring and the Archbishop saysReceive this Ring, symbol of kingly dignity and a sign of the covenant sworn this day, between God and King, King and people.

☆ Opinion | The First Scandal King Charles Could Face Is a Gift From Boris Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Christopher Caldwell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

At his coronation in London on Saturday, King Charles III will assume the ancient responsibilities of the British monarchy. But the list that the prime minister Boris Johnson compiled as he was being chased from office last summer threatens to become an inconvenience for King Charles — perhaps even a scandal. On his way out the door, Mr. Johnson reportedly assembled a list of lords- and ladies-to-be that stretched to almost 100 names — a historically large number. The list reportedly included three politicians who had shown unusual loyalty to Mr. Johnson. It has real political power, if not as much as the House of Commons.

☆ Arsenal's Wienroither latest to suffer ACL injury in women's game
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Arsenal's Austria defender Laura Wienroither is the latest player in the women's game to rupture an anterior cruciate ligament after the club confirmed her injury on Thursday. Wienroither, 24, sustained the injury in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final defeat by Wolfsburg on Monday. She is the fourth Arsenal player to rupture an ACL this season after England captain Leah Williamson, England forward Beth Mead and Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema. Studies have found women in sports that involve sudden deceleration or changing direction such as soccer are up to six times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than men. The prevalence of injuries in women's soccer in recent times has led to calls for better research.

☆ Tragedy chanting: ‘Vile’ soccer songs about deaths fueled by ‘need to hurt’ opposing fans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Described as “vile” and “unacceptable” and fueled by “the need to hurt,” ‘tragedy chanting’ is becoming an increasing concern to soccer authorities. Then, in 1989, overcrowding in the stands ahead of the FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans. Nottingham Forest fans hold up a banner in memory of the 97 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. The working group has also been in contact with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to discuss whether convictions can be pursued for fans that engage in tragedy chanting. Heysel Stadium Disaster, May 1985.

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.

☆ Britain hands Northern Ireland 'difficult decisions' in budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERSLONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - Britain set out a budget for Northern Ireland on Thursday that gave the region two years to repay an overspend from the last 12 months but warned "difficult decisions" will be needed with funding set to remain flat year-on-year. Northern Ireland has been without a power-sharing government for over a year due to a dispute about post-Brexit trade rules, leaving Britain's minister for the region to set a budget and civil servants to make the subsequent spending decisions. "This will provide some protection to front line public services in Northern Ireland from having to take the most severe reductions. However, difficult decisions remain in order to live within the funding available," he said in a statement. "Any idea that putting in a punishing budget to Northern Ireland is going to bully the DUP to get back sooner is for the birds, absolute nonsense," DUP lawmaker Emma Little-Pengelly told national broadcaster RTE.

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.

☆ S&P sees brighter outlook for UK credit rating as budget risks recede
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Ratings agency S&P Global revised up its outlook for Britain's sovereign credit rating on Friday, removing the "negative" label which it applied after September's "mini-budget" under then-Prime Minister Liz Truss. "The government's decision to abandon most of the unfunded budgetary measures proposed in September 2022 has bolstered the fiscal outlook for the UK," S&P said. S&P maintained its AA rating for British government debt and now has a "stable" outlook for the rating. Lower energy prices have brightened Britain's economic outlook - with the International Monetary Fund revising up its forecasts last week - although the squeeze on consumer spending from continued high inflation means the IMF still forecasts Britain's economy will contract by 0.3% in 2023. S&P said it expected British economic output to fall by 0.5% this year before growing by an average of 1.6% a year between 2024 and 2026.

☆ Frail or Forceful, Biden Keeps Stumbling
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Karl Rove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Potomac Watch: Democrats belatedly admit Dianne Feinstein is too old to serve. What about Joe Biden? Images: AP Composite: Mark KellyPresident Biden’s visit to Ireland was personal, given his Irish roots, and presidents are allowed such trips. The excursion marked the 25th anniversary of the historic 1998 Good Friday Agreement to end sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. But the visit also poignantly highlighted Mr. Biden’s chief political vulnerability if he runs for a second term.

April 19 Reuters) - Seagate Technology Holdings (STX.O) has agreed to pay a $300 million penalty in a settlement with U.S. authorities for shipping over $1.1 billion worth of hard disk drives to China's Huawei in violation of U.S. export control laws, the U.S. Department of Commerce said on Wednesday. Seagate sold the drives to Huawei between August 2020 and September 2021 despite an August 2020 rule that restricted sales of certain foreign items made with U.S. technology to the company. Seagate shipped 7.4 million drives to Huawei for about a year after the 2020 rule took effect and became Huawei's sole supplier of hard drives, the Commerce Department said. The other two primary suppliers of hard drives ceased shipments to Huawei after the new rule took effect in 2020, the department said. Even after "its competitors had stopped selling to them ... Seagate continued sending hard disk drives to Huawei," Matthew Axelrod, the Commerce Department's assistant secretary for export enforcement said in a statement.

☆ British, Irish PMs open to Good Friday Agreement reforms when time right
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Amanda Ferguson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Clodagh KilcoyneBELFAST, April 19 (Reuters) - The Irish and British prime ministers said on Wednesday that they were open to considering reforming Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace accord, but that any debate could only happen when the powersharing government underpinning it was restored. That, coupled with the rise of the Alliance party, which identifies as neither nationalist or unionist, has sparked calls for an overhaul of a political architecture that the largest unionist party, the DUP, has boycotted for more than a year. "I think it's the shared view of the British and Irish government that there is a conversation that needs to happen about reforming the Good Friday Agreement. No agreement should be set in stone forever," Varadkar told reporters after an event to mark 25 years of the peace accord. "I urge you to work with us to get Stormont (Northern Ireland's assembly) up and running again," Sunak told unionist politicians.

CNN —Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer, described himself as a truth-teller who will “end the division” as he launched his bid for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday in Boston. Some Kennedy family members have denounced his views on vaccines. Kennedy lives in Los Angeles, but he chose Boston as a nod to his family’s deep political roots in the city, even though his father, Robert F. Kennedy, declared his presidential ambitions in the Senate Caucus Room on Capitol Hill in 1968, the same place his uncle, John F. Kennedy, launched his presidential campaign in 1960. “I’m a lifelong Democrat, but I will not be voting for Robert Kennedy Jr. because I cannot stomach the anti-vaccine thing,” said Tyson Humble of Portland, Oregon, who was visiting the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of former President Kennedy, is currently the US ambassador to Australia.

☆ Fact Check-Biden spoke to people on a balcony behind him during Northern Ireland university event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden turned to speak to people standing on a balcony above and behind where he was giving a speech at a university in Belfast during his recent visit to Northern Ireland, in April 2023. Users on social media, however, said a video of the moment shows him talking to an “invisible” or imaginary audience. The day after, he spoke at Belfast's Ulster University. The attendees are also visible in the broadcasts published by the White House and Ulster University ( here ), ( here ). Biden looked backwards at people standing behind him during an event in Northern Ireland.

☆ Fact Check-Unedited video shows Biden greeting Sunak on UK visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Unclipped footage of U.S. President Joe Biden landing in Belfast shows him interacting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. A condensed version of the video showing Biden exiting a plane and moving past Sunak is circulating online alongside claims Biden misidentified or dismissed Sunak (here and here). Biden arrived in Northern Ireland to mark the Good Friday Agreement peace deal’s 25th anniversary (here). The full video also shows Sunak and Biden talking and greeting each other. Full footage of U.S. President Joe Biden arriving in Northern Ireland shows him interacting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

☆ One Climber Dies and Another Is Missing on Himalayan Mountain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Bhadra Sharma | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An experienced alpinist from Northern Ireland was found dead and another climber from India went missing on the same mountain in central Nepal on Tuesday. The Northern Irish climber, Noel Hanna, who had scaled Mount Everest 10 times, was found dead inside his tent at Camp 4 of Annapurna after scaling the 26,545-foot-tall mountain without supplemental oxygen on Monday, officials said. Yubaraj Khatiwada, a tourism official in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, said the cause of Mr. Hanna’s death was unclear. The climber had just descended from Annapurna, the world’s 10th-highest peak, according to his expedition agency, Seven Summit Treks. Mr. Khatiwada also said that two Indian mountaineers went missing on Monday after losing radio contact with the base.

☆ Ten-time Everest climber dies after scaling Annapurna peak in Nepal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Noel Hanna, who had climbed Mount Everest 10 times, scaled the 8,091 metres (26,545 feet) Annapurna peak in west Nepal on Monday and died overnight in Camp IV after descending from the peak. He said an Indian climber, who fell into a crevasse on the lower reaches of Annapurna, has been missing since Monday. Two other Indian mountaineers, who were caught up in bad weather while climbing Annapurna, were being rescued, hiking company officials said. Annapurna peak in west Nepal, first climbed by Maurice Herzog of France in the early 1950s, is considered dangerous because of the risk of frequent avalanches. At least 365 people have climbed Annapurna and more than 72 have died on the mountain, according to hiking officials.

☆ 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.

☆ Northern Ireland recognises women who helped bring peace
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Amanda Ferguson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"There wouldn't be a Good Friday agreement to celebrate today if it were not for the women of Northern Ireland," Clinton said, to applause from the audience. The peace accord largely ended 30 years of violence between mainly Catholic nationalist opponents and mainly Protestant unionist supporters of British rule. Other recipients included Ireland's first female president, Mary Robinson, Northern Ireland's first female first minister, Arlene Foster and Lyra McKee, a journalist who was killed in 2019 during an outbreak of the sporadic violence that still exists. "I was amazed that my name was among such an illustrious group of women," Avila Killmurray, a co-founder of the Women's Coalition, said at the ceremony. "However it's really nice because I worked mainly with women in local communities and I think very often their contribution over the years doesn't go recognised enough."

☆ Scenes from the annual NRA convention
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Jillian Kumagai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The proud Irish-American wrapped up a nostalgic three-day visit to Ireland with a rally in the County Mayo town that his great-great-great-grandfather left for the United States in 1851. He earlier gave an emotional address at the Irish parliament and spent just over half a day in the British-run region of Northern Ireland.

☆ Backstage as 'The Phantom of the Opera' prepares to close
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Jillian Kumagai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden told the Irish parliament he was "home" in an emotional address on the second day of a nostalgic three-day tour. He began his trip with just over half a day in the British-run region of Northern Ireland.

☆ McIlroy takes $3 mln hit for skipping second designated event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

That total represents 25% of the $12 million bonus he was awarded for finishing second behind Tiger Woods on last year's PIP list which rewards the golfers who have the biggest positive impact on the PGA Tour. Golfers can skip one designated event and still collect their full bonus but McIlroy has now missed two of them, which the PGA Tour created to get the top players competing against each other more often amid a threat posed by LIV Golf. To miss a second designated event without penalty, players need an excused absence, like an injury, or risk losing part of their PIP payout from the previous year. World number three McIlroy announced his decision to withdraw from the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina on the heels of his missed cut at the Masters, which was his sixth PGA Tour start in nine weeks. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Takeaways from Biden's trip to Ireland
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Biden’s trip came as he nears a decision on running again for president. “I own property in Ireland, I’m not going to Ireland,” former President Donald Trump said during Biden’s trip. Patrick Semansky/APDiplomatic legacy: ‘Keep the peace’White House officials made little attempt at ascribing major policy objectives to Biden’s trip. Kevin Lamarque/ReutersBiden makes Ireland visit a family affairMore than anything, Biden’s trip this week had the feeling of a family spring break. Throughout the sometimes-rainy trip, Biden kept his head dry with a baseball cap from the Beau Biden Foundation.

☆ Junior doctor strike: Some of England's trainee doctors are paid less than fast-food workers. They've had enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“For too long we have been undervalued,” Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, told a crowd of striking doctors Tuesday. It is difficult to compare the salaries of UK junior doctors with those of their international peers, said Lucina Rolewicz, a researcher at Nuffield Trust, a healthcare think-tank. Junior doctors make up nearly 40% of England’s NHS doctors, according to the confederation. But NHS junior doctors have been squeezed for well over a decade, says former radiologist Tania King-Mohammad. “[Junior doctors’] pay is not reflective of their education, dedication and commitment,” King-Mohammad said.

☆ Dalai Lama 'unfairly labelled' over tongue video - Tibet govt-in-exile
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Rupam Jain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, Patron of Children in Crossfire, speaks during a press conference in Londonderry, Northern Ireland September 11, 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File PhotoNEW DELHI, April 13 (Reuters) - The head of Tibet's government-in-exile on Thursday defended the Dalai Lama over footage of him asking a boy to suck his tongue, saying the incident had demonstrated the country's spiritual leader's innocent and affectionate side. Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong (political leader) of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration, said the Dalai Lama had been "unfairly labelled with all kinds of names that really hurt the sentiment of all his followers". The video clip, filmed in February and circulated this month, has been viewed over one million times on Twitter. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet.

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