Author: LoveWorld UK

The South Korean government announced on Friday it will begin allowing a limited number of fans back into baseball and football stadiums as soon as Sunday, under new rules aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Fans will be allowed to attend Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) games starting on Sunday, and Korea Professional Football League (K League) matches starting August 1, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a government meeting. Both leagues will only be allowed to sell 10% percent of the seats available at any given game, he said. “Many citizens who have been cheering via online are…

British retail sales jumped back almost to pre-coronavirus lockdown levels in June when non-essential stores in England reopened, giving a boost to beleaguered clothing stores. Sales volumes in June leapt by 13.9% from May, above all forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists. A 70% surge in clothing and footwear sales reversed much of their slump in recent months, though the sector remains one of the worst hit, with spending 35% below pre-pandemic levels. Overall sales volumes rose to within 0.6% of February’s level. Excluding fuel sales, hit by less commuting and other travel, volumes were 2.4% higher than in…

China ordered the United States to close its consulate in the city of Chengdu on Friday, responding to a U.S. demand this week that China close its Houston consulate, as relations between the world’s two largest economies deteriorate. The order to close the consulate in Chengdu, in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, was seen as roughly reciprocal in terms of scale and impact, continuing China’s recent practice of like-for-like responses to U.S. actions. China had warned it would retaliate after it was unexpectedly given 72 hours – until Friday – to vacate its Houston consulate, and had urged the United States…

Liverpool’s players finally got their hands on the Premier League trophy on Wednesday in a muted presentation ceremony in front of an empty Kop after a thrilling 5-3 victory over Chelsea in their last home game of the season. The club’s first English title for 30 years had been sealed almost a month ago with seven games remaining, following a three-month stoppage because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kenny Dalglish, the last Liverpool manager to deliver the title, presented the medals wearing a red face mask before handing the trophy to captain Jordan Henderson who raised it to the night sky…

The mayor of the U.S. city of Portland, Ted Wheeler, was stung by tear gas early on Thursday morning after he joined demonstrators protesting against racial injustice and police brutality. Protests have rocked Portland every night for weeks, with security forces often tear-gassing and clubbing demonstrators. Visiting the protest site, Wheeler was jeered at by some demonstrators who called on him to resign and chanted “Shame on You”. They said he should have done more to protect Portland’s citizens. However, as he stood amongst the crowd outside Portland’s Justice Center, Wheeler, who was wearing a face mask, was himself affected…

The United States gave China until Friday to close its consulate in Houston following allegations of spying. China has vowed to respond, and the escalating tension between the world’s two largest economies sent the yuan CNH= on its sharpest slide in nearly two months on Wednesday. That slide reversed on Thursday, with the offshore yuan bouncing back to the weaker side of the 7 per dollar mark. CNH= “Retaliation for the Houston closure is now widely expected – the relative severity of which will offer markets some guidance on Beijing’s engagement strategy into the 2020 elections,” said UBS strategists in a note to…

President Donald Trump announced a plan on Wednesday to send federal agents to the Democratic-run cities of Chicago and Albuquerque to crack down on violent crime in an escalation of his “law and order” theme heading into the final months before the presidential election. Trump, joined at a White House event by Attorney General William Barr, unveiled an expansion of the “Operation Legend” program to more cities in a further effort by federal officials to tackle violence. “Today I’m announcing a surge of federal law enforcement into American communities plagued by violent crime,” said Trump, a Republican who has accused…

European energy supplier ENI gas e luce has signed a deal to use technology used by Britain’s OVO Energy to help with its goal of doubling customer numbers by 2050, the companies said on Thursday. ENI gas e luce, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Italian energy firm Eni SpA (ENI.MI), has around 10 million customers in Europe. “This partnership represents an important step for Eni gas e luce’s strategy to expand its international presence and achieve our long-term goal of building a portfolio of 20 million customers globally by 2050,” Alberto Chiarini, CEO of Eni gas e luce, said in a…

A new British policy allowing Hong Kong residents to claim British citizenship is a violation of international law and interferes with China’s internal affairs, China’s embassy in London said on Thursday. British Interior Minister Priti Patel said on Wednesday that Hong Kong people with British National Overseas or BN(O) status would be able to apply for special visas to live in Britain that could eventually lead towards citizenship, starting from January 2021. Britain had made that decision despite opposition from Beijing and China would respond strongly if it was not reversed, the Chinese embassy said in a statement. The move…

Renewable power has taken up a record share of global electricity production since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Reuters review of data, suggesting a transition away from polluting fossil fuels could be accelerated in the coming years. Advocates of traditional energy have long argued that clean energy sources, like solar and wind farms, which depend on fickle weather, cannot be trusted to provide steady supplies of electricity into national grids that were designed to operate in tandem with reliable coal and gas generators. But the past three months have shown that renewable energy has become more…