Polls have opened for the local elections in England.
Not all councils are up for election this time around.
230 local councils are having elections, with around 8,000 councillors' seats and four local mayoral positions up for election.
Polls will remain open until 10 pm tonight, with results expected after that.
Voters are reminded that they will need ID to voted in these elections.
Image: CC BY 2.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62569006

The first UK-government-funded phone mast upgrade has been activated in Lockerbie in Scotland to improve 4G connectivity.
The upgrade is part of the £1 billion Shared Rural Network programme, from which 120 similar upgrades are set to take place. The project is run in conjunction with the UK’s four mobile network operators (MNOs) - EE, VMO2, Three and Vodafone to improve 4G coverage and level-up connectivity across the UK.

Voters are being reminded that photo ID is needed to be able to vote in tomorrow's local elections.
Accepted ID includes driving licences, blue badges, NUS Totum cards and Freedom passes, and Voter Authority Certificates.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: "If you’re planning to vote in person at your local elections, you must remember to bring accepted photo identification with you to the polling station.
"These changes will prevent electoral fraud and ensure elections remain free and fair.

The Welsh Government’s minister for finance and local government has said that reforms to council tax in Wales will address unfairness in the current system.
Reforms have been proposed by the government which include progressive bands reflecting the latest data, regular revaluations, and a review of arrangements for discounts and reductions to ensure people are supported in the most effective way.
The changes would be delivered from April 2025 and more detail will be provided by the end of the year.

South Weest Water has been find £2.1 million for pollution offences in Devon and Cornwall.
The fine is for a series of environmental offences across Devon and Cornwall spanning a period of four years and is the largest ever fine imposed for environmental offences in the region.
District Judge Matson delivered the sentence saying: "incidents of pollution will no longer be tolerated by these courts".

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris has set a budget for 2023-24 and introduced legislation intended to ensure that public services can continue to function in the absence of an Executive.
The budget includes £14.2 billion to be spent by the Northern Ireland Executive, with more than half earmarked for health. There is also £2.6 billion for education and £1.2 billion for justice.

Welsh minister for climate change Julie James has announced £11 million of funding to curb the decline of wildlife in Wales.
The announcement came as the minister met with scientists working to save the Atlantic wild salmon, which experts say could disappear from Welsh rivers within the next twenty years.

The results of the Scottish Household Survey 2021 have been released by Scotlands Chief Statistician.
The Scottish Household Survey (SHS) is an annual survey of the general population in Scotland, carried out since 1999.
In 2021, 96 per cent of people rated their neighbourhood as a good place to live. Around two thirds of households were managing well financially. Both of these figures are the same as in 2020.

Welsh climate change minister Julie James has announced record levels of funding for flood risk management.
James published the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Programme for 2023-24 and confirmed £75 million of investment.
The money will be given to Risk Management Authorities to reduce flood and coastal risk across Wales.
James said: "There can be no doubt that this investment is required.

Newly released data has revealed that every London borough exceeds World Health Organization (WHO) limits for toxic pollution.
The research was carried out by City Hall, with analysis of diffusion tubes at locations across the city. The research showed that some progress has been made.
31 of 33 boroughs used diffusion tubes in 2021 to monitor locations in their area, a low-cost way to monitor average levels of toxic nitrogen dioxide. Every location where the diffusion tubes were installed are exceeding global WHO recommended limits for nitrogen dioxide.