Manchester’s Tourist Tax introduced. Manchester became the first UK city to launch the tourist tax. The introduction of the City Visitor Charge meant from the start of April tourists paid an extra £1 per room, per night on top of their accommodation price. It was predicted the scheme would raise £3million to help run large events and improve street cleanliness amongst other aims.
Emergency message tested for the first time. At 15:00 BST on 23rd April, the government tested a UK-wide emergency alert system for the first time. The message was accompanied by a loud siren-like sound or vibration lasting around 10 seconds. It was described as a new system that was vital for public safety in life-threatening situations.
Coronation build up: Prince Harry’s attendance confirmed. Ahead of King Charles III’s coronation, Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Harry would attend the ceremony, but Meghan Markle would remain in the United States with their children. It would be the first time he had been seen with the Royal Family since his bombshell memoir Spare was published.
UK regulatory board fines TikTok. TikTok was fined £12.7million over children’s data misuse. The Information Commissioner’s Office estimated the company allowed up to 1.4million children aged under 13 to use the platform in 2020. The regulatory body said the data may have been used to track and profile these young people.
Biden announced re-election bid. US President Joe Biden announced he was running for re-election in the 2024, with Vice-President Kamala Harris as his running mate again. The Democratic leader has faced questions surrounding his age, as he is already the oldest president in US history. A successful re-election campaign would see him leave office at the age of 86 in 2029.
SpaceX project blows up after launch. Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket blew up just minutes after it was launched. The test flight of the SpaceX Starship – the largest and most powerful space vehicle ever – was hoped to be the first step in the process of a human journey to Mars. Yet when the booster tried to separate the
Just Stop Oil protester disrupts World Snooker Championship. The 2023 World Snooker Championship was disrupted by a Just Stop Oil protestor who climbed onto the snooker table and covered it in orange powder. The match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry was abandoned and resumed the next day. Belgium’s Luca Brecel would go on to win the World Championships, becoming the first player from mainland Europe to win the competition.
BREAKING: Play suspended at the World Snooker Championship after 'Just Stop Oil' protestor jumps on a table and pours orange powder over it. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/escz83UgMP
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 17, 2023
Featured image by Solen Feyissa.
