Tag: England

Record UK drinking water demand sparks water use restrictions

LONDON, June 16, 2023 (AFP) – Millions of people across parts of southern Britain will be banned from using garden hoses as a hot spell sparks record demand for drinking water, authorities said on Friday. A temporary ban for people living in the southern Kent and Sussex areas will come into force on June 26 as forecasters predict the summer will see little rainfall. South East Water said demand in June had broken records despite […]

France, UK sign new deal on thwarting migrant Channel crossings

PARIS, France (AFP) – France and the UK on Monday signed a new agreement to work together to stop migrants crossing the Channel to England in small boats, a source of huge bilateral tension. Under the agreement, Britain will pay France 72.2 million euros ($74.5 million) in 2022-2023 so that Paris can increase by 40 percent the numbers of security forces patrolling its northern beaches, the French interior ministry said. This means some 350 additional members […]

England’s drought-hit summer 2022 joint hottest on record

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – England had its joint hottest summer on record this year, tied with 2018, the country’s meteorological agency said Thursday as it unveiled provisional mean temperature statistics for the three-month period. The announcement comes with most of England and Wales gripped by drought after exceptionally high temperatures and several heatwaves alongside minimal rainfall, mirroring conditions seen across northwest Europe. England also smashed its all-time temperature record in July, when the mercury […]

Green energy springs from abandoned UK coalmine

by Olivier DEVOS Agence France-Presse Dawdon coalmine in northeast England was abandoned three decades ago, but is being brought back to life as the unlikely setting for a green energy revolution. The carbon-intensive colliery, near the town of Seaham on the windswept northeast English coast, hauled coal from deep underground until its closure in 1991. Dawdon has long since flooded with water because part of the mine is below sea level, and is heated by […]

England lifts Covid curbs as scientists warn of surge in cases

  by Jitendra JOSHI Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The British government on Monday lifted pandemic restrictions on daily life in England, scrapping all social distancing in a step slammed by scientists and opposition parties as a dangerous leap into the unknown. From midnight (2300 GMT Sunday), nightclubs were able to reopen and other indoor venues allowed to run at full capacity, while legal mandates covering the wearing of masks and working […]

One in eight in England have had COVID-19: official data

  LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — An estimated 12 percent of people in England had been infected with coronavirus by December last year, up from nine percent in November, according to official antibody data released Tuesday. One in 10 people in Wales, one in 13 in Northern Ireland and one in 11 in Scotland were also estimated to have caught the virus, according analysis of random blood test results published by the Office for National […]

England to lock down again as virus surges in Europe

  by Joe Jackson, with AFP Bureaus Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a new four-week coronavirus lockdown in England, which will join several European countries in imposing the measure for a second time, as Slovakia took a different tack and began testing its entire population. Global infections are fast approaching 46 million, with close to 1.2 million deaths, and Europe is experiencing a dizzying spike […]

New virus curbs for northern English region to affect some 1.4 million people

  by James PHEBY and Alice Ritchie Agence France Presse More than a million people in northern England will be banned from mixing with other households under new coronavirus rules announced Wednesday, sparking warnings of “months of agony” ahead. The county of South Yorkshire, which includes the city of Sheffield, will enter into “very high” alert or tier three restrictions from Saturday, the UK government announced. Many pubs, bars, casinos and other venues will be […]

Perez heads Newcastle closer to Premier League safety

LEICESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) — Newcastle took a huge step towards securing their Premier League survival as Ayoze Perez sealed a 1-0 win against Leicester on Friday. Rafael Benitez’s side moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone thanks to Perez’s first half header at the King Power Stadium. Newcastle’s first away league win since December ended a run of four games without a victory which had threatened to drag them into the relegation dogfight. […]

Struggling Leicester sack coach Claude Puel

Leicester announced the sacking of manager Claude Puel on Sunday following the struggling Premier League side’s sixth defeat in seven games. Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Crystal Palace saw the 2016 champions slip to 12th in the Premier League, only eight points above the relegation places. A statement released by the club said: “Leicester City Football Club has today (Sunday) parted company with Claude Puel, who leaves his position as first team manager with immediate effect.” […]

No pain, no strain: Korean football, the Son Heung-min way

    by Sunghee Hwang Agence France-Presse CHUNCHEON, South Korea | AFP As Son Heung-min’s career takes off in England, his legacy is already taking shape in South Korea — at an innovative academy where ball control is king and shooting is frowned upon. The SON Football Academy in Son’s native Chuncheon, run by his father Son Woong-jung, takes an unusual approach for South Korea  where typically, training is strenuous and young players practise for up to eight […]

Belgium claims third place at World Cup with 2-0 win over England

  by Martyn Wood Agence France Presse Belgium achieved their best World Cup finish as goals from Thomas Meunier and Eden Hazard secured a 2-0 victory over England in Saturday’s third-place playoff in Saint Petersburg. Meunier, who missed the semi-final loss to France due to suspension, scored after just four minutes before Hazard grabbed a late second as Belgium eclipsed the side that came fourth at the 1986 edition. Belgium have now defeated England twice […]