Latest news with #Britons
eNCA
3 hours ago
- Politics
- eNCA
UK water pollution alarms summer bathers
AFP | Ben STANSALL Pensioner Chris Stanley became so incensed by water companies dumping wastewater into the sea near his home that four years ago he stopped paying his bills. To his dismay things have not improved. "They released sewage water last week on Friday, (and) Sunday night, and on Monday the beach was declared not safe for swimming," said Stanley, 82, a regular swimmer, whose home overlooks the sea from the southeastern town of Whitstable. The Southern Water company, which supplies water to 2.6 million people, is allowed to release excess wastewater into the sea when the network is saturated such as during heavy rains. But the situation has become so exasperating that in 2021 Stanley refused to pay part of his water bill relating to sewage treatment. Last month a court ordered that Stanley must pay what he owes. AFP | Ben STANSALL "The judge ruled that water companies have the right to claim the money even if they don't do it properly," he said wryly. Many Britons have been increasingly alarmed by the water companies' failures and their lack of investment, with some customers launching a national campaign named "Boycott Water Bills". Last year, a record 3.6 million hours of sewage discharges were registered in England, according to the government's Environment Agency. Serious pollution contamination incidents also rose by 60 percent in a year, the agency said. According to an investigation by environmental watchdogs Unearthed and DeSmog, 10,000 water quality tests had to be abandoned between May and July due to a lack of staff at the Environment Agency. - System overhaul - Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer's centre-left government on Monday announced plans to overhaul the water regulation system after a scathing report by the Independent Water Commission. It slammed private companies and authorities in England and Wales for failing to regulate the water sector. AFP | Ben STANSALL "Our water industry is broken," Environment Secretary Steve Reed said. The government will now abolish the much-maligned regulator Ofwat after the commission report, dubbed the most comprehensive review of the sector since its privatisation in the late 1980s. On Wednesday, the first day of the school holidays, a few families were playing in the sunshine enjoying Tankerton's pebble beach on the Kent coast, lined with colourful beach huts. Near a Southern Water treatment station, where a long pipe travels under the beach into the sea to release wastewater, some holidaymakers were even bathing. The water company had dumped polluted water into the sea for six hours the day before, but swimming was still permitted. AFP | Ben STANSALL Yoga instructor Lisa Lawton from London was enjoying a week's holiday in Whitstable with her two daughters. "They were released last night? I was not aware. I just wanted to go for a swim," Lawton, 41, told AFP, referring to the discharges. Another mum, Emily Winstone, 42, said: "When we used to come here as children, you didn't ever think about it." "But now it's every time you come to the beach, it's the first thing you think of. Can we go in the water?" she said. - Renationalisation - The charity Surfers Against Sewage has created a phone app that indicates the water quality on UK beaches. Last year, they received 1,850 reports of people falling ill after swimming in the sea. Elane Heffernan, who volunteers with the campaigning group SOS Whitstable, became sick after bathing close to sewage spillages in 2021. That year, the town's oyster farm shut down and Southern Water was fined 90 million pounds ($121 million) for admitting to 7,000 illegal discharges between 2010 and 2015. AFP | Ben STANSALL Since then, Heffernan has advocated for the renationalisation of the water industry, and a petition launched by SOS Whitstable was signed by more than 280,000 people. "We have now had more than enough evidence over 30 years to know it (privatisation) doesn't work. It can't work. It's never going to work," said Heffernan, adding private companies prioritised profit over long-term investments. A spokesperson for Southern Water told AFP the discharges "are not acceptable and we have a £1.5 billion plan (by 2035) to drastically cut their use by using innovative nature-based and engineering solutions which keep rainwater out of our sewers". They added that the company had also invested 965 million pounds last year. But according to the National Audit Office, the entire water sector needs some £290 billion in investment over the next 25 years. By Marie Heuclin
North Wales Live
4 hours ago
- North Wales Live
This is the one foreign phrase Brits have mastered for when they go abroad
According to recent research, half of Britons can only confidently utter one phrase in a foreign language: how to order a drink. A poll of 2,000 adults found that a third are likely to make up words in an attempt to communicate with locals whilst on holiday. If this approach fails, over half resort to pointing at menus, while nearly a quarter rely on exaggerated hand gestures or speaking English very slowly in the hope of being understood. But despite their best efforts, communication barriers often lead to complications, with a fifth spending more time than necessary trying to resolve simple issues. One in ten confessed to mistakenly boarding the wrong train or bus due to a misunderstanding, or inadvertently ordering the wrong food or drink. Navigating foreign restaurant menus appears to be a particular source of anxiety, with four in ten entering full panic mode if an English version is not available. The research was conducted by Samsung to coincide with the launch of its Galaxy Z Flip7, which boasts an AI-powered Live Translate and Interpreter function. This feature aims to assist users in translating phone calls in real time and overcoming language barriers when travelling. The survey showed that the majority of Brits are embarrassed by their poor foreign language skills when abroad. But to mask their lack of knowledge, a third have resorted to smiling and nodding in conversations, pretending to understand even when they are completely lost. Moreover, one in five have tried to converse in the local language, only for the person they're speaking to reply in fluent English. This leaves them feeling embarrassed once again. 10 WAYS BRITS HAVE TRIED TO CHAT WITH LOCALS: Pointed at items on a menu Asked locals if they 'speak English?' before anything else Said English words very slowly Used dramatic hand gestures Tried to mime what I was trying to say Butchered basic phrases Used translate apps Mixed multiple languages together Repeated the same phrase multiple times in different tones Tried speaking louder in English, hoping it would help
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should the state pension age be raised above 66? Yahoo readers have their say
The government has announced a review of the state pension – but has ruled out making changes to the triple lock for now Yahoo UK's poll of the week lets you vote and indicate your strength of feeling on one of the week's hot topics. After the poll closes, we'll publish and analyse the results each Friday, giving readers the chance to see how polarising a topic has become and if their view chimes with other Yahoo UK readers. Huge changes to the UK's pensions could be on the cards as chancellor Rachel Reeves seeks to balance the government account books. Ministers have announced the Pensions Commission - which recommended auto-enrolment in workplace schemes in 2005 - is set to be revived for the first time in almost two decades in a bid to get Britons saving more for retirement. But the age at which the state pension can be drawn is also expected to be increased, with Reeves saying it was "right" to examine the issue in light of increasing life expectancy. Currently set at 66, the age is due to rise to 67 by 2028 and then to 68 between 2044-2046 - although the prospect of bringing this timeline forward has also been raised. Last year, the UK spent £138 billion on the state pension, equivalent to 5% of GDP, a figure the Office for Budget Responsibility expects to rise to 7.7% by the 2070s. Changes to the pensions 'triple lock', which ensures state pensions rise by 2.5%, CPI inflation, or the increase in average earnings every year, are also being considered. However, the triple lock will not be considered by the Pensions Commission and Labour has promised it will not be altered before the end of the current Parliament. In our poll earlier this week, Yahoo News UK asked our readers: "Should the state pension age be raised above 66?" It received 5,403 votes and showed an overwhelming majority - 85% - in favour of keeping the current age in place. The poll also asked readers for their thoughts on the pensions triple lock. Once again, 85% said they wanted to see the guarantee maintained, with even fewer arguing it should be scrapped. The poll's Have Your Say feature elicited some strong feelings and a mixture of opinion, with most feeling the state pension age should not be raised - but even this provoked a split over why it should be held steady. JanR, from Hertfordshire, said: "I think the state pension age should remain as it is. Most people work all their lives and deserve some down time whilst they are hopefully fit enough to enjoy it." David g, from Manchester, agreed, but said the focus should be on younger people still climbing the career ladder, rather than those already at the top. He said: "Keeping people in work longer to shorten the amount of pension they claim in what remains of their lives is the wrong thing to do. What about the younger generation looking for their first jobs? What will be left for them to do? Nothing. The government has totally got its priorities wrong. Why should we be forced to work for over fifty years? This is grossly unfair" P smith, from south Wales, also concurred, but argued those who had contributed to their pensions should not be penalised at the expense of those who had not, saying: "Why should people who have contributed to a works pension scheme work later in life to help support those who haven't." Others however, like Kevin F, from Derby, took the opposite view. He said: "The pension age has to increase in line with life expectancy. It's only fair to the younger generation." Read more of Yahoo UK's Poll of the Week articles
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
British passengers urged to check crucial passport detail ahead of holidays
Britons are warned to check their passport validity to avoid being turned away from their holiday flights due to post-Brexit rules. The Independent travel correspondent Simon Calder has urged holidaymakers to ensure their passports are in date. He explained: 'In the UK, passports can be issued for more than 10 years, but unfortunately if you are trying to get into the European Union, you can not get in after your passport is 10 years old. 'Your passport must have not passed its 10th birthday and must have remaining before you intend to leave the EU.'
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
What is YOUR dream retirement destination? Experts reveal the top five for low tax and great weather... with some unusual winners
Retiring abroad for sunshine, a cheaper cost of living and lower tax is and idea that appeals to many Britons. But where can you tick as many of those boxes as possible and actually move to?
