- Emotional David Beckham says he didn’t ‘sleep’ or ‘eat’ after he was blamed for England’s World Cup 1998 exit Daily Mail
- David Beckham’s ‘Rollercoaster’ Life Takes Center Stage in Docuseries Trailer Rolling Stone
- David Beckham documentary on Netflix to air on October 4 Tatler Taiwan
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Tag Archives: Englands
England’s Raheem Sterling leaves Qatar after intruders break into family home
CNN
—
England soccer star Raheem Sterling is returning home from the World Cup in Qatar after armed intruders broke into his home while his family were inside, a person with knowledge of the situation told CNN.
The incident happened on Saturday evening, the individual told CNN, and Sterling is said to be “shaken” and “concerned” about the well-being of his children after the break-in.
There would be an opportunity for Sterling to return to Qatar if the circumstances are right, the individual told CNN, but added that he’s “now he’s focusing on being at home and supporting his family.”
England faces France in the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.
In a statement to CNN, Surrey Police said it is currently investigating a report of a burglary at an address in Oxshott, Leatherhead.
“Police were contacted just before 9pm on Saturday December 3rd after the occupants of the property came home and discovered a number of items including jewellery and watches had been stolen,” a spokesperson from Surrey Police told CNN.
“Enquiries to establish the circumstances are underway and the investigation is ongoing.
“No threat of violence was involved as the items were discovered stolen retrospectively. Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.”
On Sunday, Sterling was absent from England’s 3-0 victory over Senegal with England manager Gareth Southgate later saying the 27-year-old was dealing with a “family matter.”
“I spent a lot of time with Raheem this morning,” Southgate told reporters on Sunday.
“You have days where events happen and you have to deal with them. He’s on his way home. We’re obviously mindful of him being allowed space and privacy respected so we don’t want to talk in too much detail.
“Of course, it’s not ideal for the group ahead of a big game but it pales into insignificance, the individual is more important than the group in those moments.”
CNN has contacted England’s Football Association for comment.
The Chelsea forward played in England’s first two games in the group stages of the World Cup and scored in the team’s 6-2 victory against Iran.
England’s women reach Euro 2022 final with stunning win over Sweden
It didn’t all go host England’s way, however, as Sarina Wiegman’s side had to weather some serious first-half pressure from a world class Sweden side.
But Lauren Hemp’s smart turn and finish after the half-hour mark settled England’s obvious nerves and from then on there only looked like being one winner.
Lucy Bronze’s header from a corner early in the second half and then a stunning back-heeled goal from substitute Alessia Russo sent the 28,624 fans inside Bramall Lane into rapture, before Fran Kirby’s lob added gloss to an already remarkable scoreline.
Sweden, after all, is currently ranked second in the world, with England only previously recording three wins over Sweden in its entire history.
In what has already been a record-breaking tournament for attendances and viewing figures, Tuesday’s game set a new record attendance for a Euros semifinal.
After defeats in the semifinals at the 2019 World Cup, Euro 2017, England will now play in the final against either Germany or France at Wembley Stadium on July 31.
“I think they have shown a couple of times they are very resilient,” Wiegman told the BBC. “We didn’t start well, we had a hard time.
“We found a way. The players in the game found a way to get out of their pressure. I’m so incredibly proud of them.”
Slow starters
The nerves that were evident for much of the quarterfinal against Spain were again on display in the early stages against Sweden.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps was called into action inside the opening minute, blocking Sofia Jakobsson’s effort after Georgia Stanway had been caught in possession in midfield.
Another smart save from Earps once again kept the scores level just minutes later, this time palming Stina Blackstenius’ bobbled effort around the post. From the resulting corner, Sweden had its best chance yet as Blackstenius this time beat Earps to the ball, but her header could only find the crossbar.
With England looking to dominate possession, Sweden was posing a real threat on the counter. The attacking trio of Blackstenius, Kosovare Asllani and Fridolina Rolfo in particular were giving England’s defenders nightmares, pulling them this way and that with their interchanging runs.
By the half hour mark, England had barely registered a chance worth mentioning. In fact, the highlight of the Lionesses’ opening 30 minutes was a stunning sliding tackle from Kirby, who had tracked back the length of the pitch to deny Sweden a clear goalscoring chance.
England manager Wiegman once again named the same starting XI she had for the first four games of Euro 2022, unperturbed by the somewhat toothless display for much of the quarterfinal against Spain.
Wiegman needed all of her tactical nous to turn that game around with substitutions, but her trusty top scorer Mead made sure that wouldn’t be necessary this time.
With 10 minutes left to play in the first half, England found the breakthrough seemingly out of nowhere. After Lauren Hemp’s cross into the box missed Ellen White’s boot by an inch, Bronze did well to keep the ball in play and put it back into the penalty area.
Mead took one touch, swiveled and drilled the ball into the far corner to send Bramall Lane crowd into delirium. It was a wonderful goal, perhaps her best of the tournament so far, and put her into outright first place in the race for the Golden Boot with six goals.
It also equaled the most goals scored at a single European Championship, matching Inka Grings’ tally from Finland 2009.
More importantly, however, it finally settled England’s nerves and for the first time in the match Wiegman’s team began to dominate. Chances came for Kirby and Stanway, but neither were able to test Rut Hedvig Lindahl in the Sweden goal from distance.
When the half-time whistle came, it was Sweden that was relieved to hear it and England was now just 45 minutes minutes away from the final.
Relentless Lionesses
The second half began in identical fashion and England immediately had its opponent on the back foot once more.
It was again Hemp down the left causing Sweden all sorts of problems and the Manchester City winger’s cross into Mead was blocked behind by a Swedish boot. However, a towering header from Lucy Bronze from the resulting corner sneaked its way in past the far post and put England in complete control of this semifinal.
Russo has been England’s supersub in this tournament, registering three goals off the bench so far. When she was brought on before the hour mark against Sweden, her impact was immediate as a driving run and low cross found Hemp at the far post.
But with the goal gaping, the winger could only divert an effort onto the crossbar.
Sweden did have a wonderful chance to half the deficit, but Earps’ full-stretch fingertip save denied Blackstenius a goal.
However, with just over 20 minutes left to play, the match was ended as a contest by a moment of genius from Russo. After her initial effort — which she should have scored — was blocked by Lindahl, Russo improvised with a cheeky backheel that caught the Swedish keeper completely off guard as it squeezed through her legs.
It was a piece of magic that encapsulated the very best of this England team as it began to dismantle one of the best teams in the world.
Kirby soon added the icing on the cake with just over 15 minutes left to play, lobbing the ball from range over Lindahl. The Swedish keeper really should have done better, but let the ball squirm through her hands, capping off a night she will want to forget in a hurry.
The victory continues Wiegman’s remarkable personal record of never having lost a game at a Euros. Everyone in England will be hoping that run continues for just one more match.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick wins 2022 U.S. Open by 1 stroke for first major title
BROOKLINE, Mass. — Matt Fitzpatrick of England is a champion again at The Country Club, this time with the grandest of trophies in golf.
A U.S. Amateur champion in 2013. The U.S. Open champion Sunday.
In a three-way battle at Brookline that came down to the wire, Fitzpatrick seized control with a great break and an even better shot on the 15th hole for a two-shot swing. He was just as clutch from a fairway bunker on the 18th that set up par for a 2-under 68.
Victory was not secure until Will Zalatoris, who showed amazing fight back from every mistake, dropped to his knees when his 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th just slid by the left side of the cup. Zalatoris, who closed with a 69, was a runner-up in the second straight major.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler never recovered from back-to-back bogeys to start the back nine that cost him the lead. He had a 25-foot birdie chance on the 18th that just missed and left him one behind with a 67.
Along with the $3.15 million in prize money, Fitzpatrick had that gold Jack Nicklaus medal draped around his neck, which was only fitting.
Fitzpatrick is the 13th man to win both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open in his career, and the second to win both on the same course, joining Nicklaus, who turned the trick at Pebble Beach. Juli Inkster won the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Women’s Open at Prairie Dunes.
Fitzpatrick, who briefly played at Northwestern before turning pro, won for the eighth time worldwide, and this was his first in America — at least a tournament everyone knows about. He won the member-member at The Bear’s Club in Florida at the start of the year, the course Nicklaus built.
“He gave me a bit of abuse at the start of the year. He said, ‘Finally. Congratulations for winning in the States,'” Fitzpatrick said.
And then slightly lifting the trophy, Fitzpatrick sent a fun message to Nicklaus: “Jack, I won a second time.”
Fitzpatrick became the first player since Graeme McDowell in 2010 to earn his first PGA Tour win at the U.S. Open.
It took a good break, a signature shot and some guts at the end.
Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris were tied going to the 15th when the Englishman hit his tee shot so far right that it went into the gallery and found a decent lie on grass that was dead and trampled. Zalatoris missed by only a few yards and was buried in deep grass.
He hit 5-iron from 220 yards to 18 feet below the hole. Zalatoris went into the front bunker, blasted out to 25 feet and made bogey. Fitzpatrick took a two-shot lead when his birdie putt went into the cup with such perfect pace it didn’t even touch the pin he leaves in the cup.
Zalatoris again bounced back, taking on a tough pin at the par-3 16th to 7 feet for birdie to cut the lead to one shot. Both missed 12-foot birdie chances on the 17th, and then Fitzpatrick missed a fairway at the wrong time, pulling it left into a bunker with a steep patch of rough right in front of him.
It looked like a playoff was eminent — the previous three U.S. Opens at Brookline were all decided by a playoff — and then Fitzpatrick fearless hit a fade with a 9-iron that carried the gaping bunker in front of the green and settled 18 feet away.
He narrowly missed and could only watch as Zalatoris missed his last chance.
“Matt’s shot on 18 is going to be shown probably for the rest of U.S. Open history,” Zalatoris said. “I walked by it, and I thought that going for it was going to be ballsy. But the fact that he pulled it off and even had a birdie look was just incredible.
“So hat’s off to him. He played great all week obviously and gave a solid round today.”
Fitzpatrick finished at 6-under 134.
The 27-year-old Fitzpatrick, the first Englishman since Justin Rose in 2013 to win the U.S. Open and the youngest player from England to win a major since Tony Jacklin at the 1970 U.S. Open, felt his time was coming. He is meticulous in charting his shots and keeps a record of all of them to identify what needs work. And he emphasized speed in his swing over the last two years, giving him the length and the belief to compete with anyone.
That didn’t make Sunday any easier, a three-man race from the start when Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy fell back and never rejoined the mix.
Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris, who shared the 54-hole lead, each had a two-shot lead at one point.
Zalatoris, who lost in a playoff to Justin Thomas in the PGA Championship last month, recovered from two early bogeys. They were tied when Zalatoris made an 18-foot birdie putt on the short par-3 11th, and Fitzpatrick three-putted for bogey from the same range.
The 25-year-old from Dallas suddenly had a two-shot lead. He also couldn’t keep the ball in the fairway, and it cost him with a dropped shot on No. 12. And then came another big turning point, with Fitzpatrick holing a 50-foot birdie putt across the 13th green. Zalatoris did well to make his 15-footer for par and they headed for the tense conclusion.
Scheffler was still hanging around in his bid for a second major this year, but everyone else became a distant memory. Hideki Matsuyama had the low round of the week at 65, but he finished at 3-under 277, and that was never going to be good enough.
In the end, it was Fitzpatrick sharing hugs with his family on the green, including younger brother Alex, who caddied for him in the U.S. Amateur and recently turned pro.
And there was his caddie, Billy Foster, one of the most popular, long-serving loopers in Europe who had never been on the bag for a major until Sunday.
“Billy said it for a while to keep doing what you’re doin and the chance will come,” Fitzpatrick said. “It did, and I took it.”
ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Patriots vs. Colts: New England’s comeback falls short, lose 27-17
Following a streak of seven straight wins, the New England Patriots have finally dropped a game, losing 27-17 to the Indianapolis Colts.
Instead of giving you a postgame diatribe, we’ll re-visit my thoughts from pre-game.
“New England and Indianapolis will be looking to do the same thing tonight. Get out to a fast start, control the pace of the game, win the turnover battle, and force the opponent into uncomfortable spots.”
Ultimately, that’s exactly what happened. Indy started out strong, putting together a 20 point lead in the fourth quarter. They controlled the pace of the game and forced New England into a style of offense that they’re not conducive of playing. Despite the Patriots best efforts, they could not complete the comeback and will now look to rebound against one of the AFC’s best teams in the Buffalo Bills. Before you take a step in that direction, you can re-visit the Patriots game with Indianapolis below.
December 18, 8:15p.m. ET | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN | Broadcast information
Pregame
Inactives
Patriots Inactives: RB Damien Harris, QB Jarrett Stidham, S Joshuah Bledsoe, CB JoeJuan Williams, OT Yodny Cajuste, TE Devin Asiasi
Colts Inactives: DL Ben Banogu, OT Julien Davenport, LB Malik Jefferson, C Ryan Kelly, RB Marlon Mack, WR Mike Strachan
The most important inactive on New England’s side is top running back Damien Harris, who will sit out with a hamstring injury. Stidham, Asiasi, Cajuste, and Bledsoe aren’t surprises, but JoeJuan Williams being passed over for Shaun Wade may be categorized as such.
No surprises on the Colts side, starting center Ryan Kelly was ruled out earlier this week with a couple of injuries and a personal matter, our thoughts are with him and his family.
Coin Toss
Matthew Slater called heads and the coin landed on heads. The Patriots deferred their choice to the second half, meaning Indianapolis would start on offense.
First Quarter
University of Massachusetts product Isaiah Rodgers returned Jake Bailey’s opening kick to the Indianapolis 27-yard line to start the nights proceedings. On the first play from scrimmage, Carson Wentz hit Michael Pittman Jr. for a gain of six yards to set themselves ahead of the chains. On the next down, Indy ran the same play but was unsuccessful, leading to an early 3rd-and-4. That is where Wentz had Pittman wide open down the sideline but overthrew him, bailing J.C. Jackson out of some bad coverage. The Colts would punt. Gunner Olszewski made an interesting decision to return the punt and fumbled the ball, but saw it bounce out of bounds to retain possession.
New England took over at their own 22-yard line, handing the ball off to rookie Rhamondre Stevenson for a gain of four yards. Stevenson got another touch on the next play, catching a swing pass for another four yards leading to a 3rd-and-2. Jones dropped back and delivered a dart to Jakobi Meyers for a gain of 10 yards and a first down. The Patriots continued to let Jones drop back, something we haven’t seen in about a month, but this time he pulled it down and scrambled for 12 yards and another first down. Kendrick Bourne’s carry on the next play went for just one yard before New England set up a screen for Jonnu Smith that would have gained another first if not for the offensive line getting antsy and up the field too early. A delay of game penalty before the following snap would back them up five more yards. Rhamondre Stevenson picked up four yards to set up a 3rd-and-15, where Mac Jones took a 15 yard sack, eventually leading to a punt. A very up and down possession for the Patriots offense.
The Colts offense took over at their own 22-yard line, handing the ball off to wide receiver Ashton Dulin for a gain of 37 yards before Jonathan Taylor took it from there. Gains of 11, four, six, five, and four on the next five plays to set up a 3rd-and-1 from New England’s 11-yard line. Guess who got the ball? That’s right Jonathan Taylor picked up the first down, before Indy made him the lead blocker for Nyheim Hines who scored from eight yards out. [Patriots 0 : 7 Colts]
Looking for a response, the Patriots started at their own 20-yard line following a short Gunner Olszewski kick return. They would lose yards on the ground on first down, forcing a pair of Jones throws to Bourne and Meyers that would eventually lead to a first down. Back to the ground, a pair of Rhamondre Stevenson runs netted the Patriots just one yard leading to another 3rd-and-long. Jones dropped back and looked deep for Jakobi Meyers who dropped a beautiful pass and forced a punt. Shortly thereafter the Colts would be standing in the end zone with six more, as Bailey’s punt was blocked and recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. [Patriots 0 : 14 Colts]
Back out on offense after a horrific start, the Patriots had no choice but to throw the ball, gaining a few yards on a pass to Jonnu Smith before the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter
New England continued to throw the ball, hitting Nelson Agholor for a gain of five before running another third down toss to Brandon Bolden that didn’t work. It seems to be becoming a weekly occurrence. Jake Bailey came back on to punt, only netting the Patriots just 32 yards of field position. It’s an improvement over the last one.
The Colts came back out with tremendous field position at their own 35-yard line. With no reason not to, they fed Jonathan Taylor, who picked up nine yards on three carries leading to a 4th-and-1 from around mid field. Wentz went with the quick count and leaned forward for enough to pick up a first down. On the next play, New England seemed to have the perfect call as Dont’a Hightower came free on a blitz but was chopped down by Jonathan Taylor, before Wentz floated one into quadruple coverage that was somehow caught by Zach Pascal. Wentz and Taylor picked up another pair of first downs to push Indy inside the Patriots 10-yard line. New England’s defense would eventually force a 3rd-and-goal where Wentz would miss Mo Alie-Cox, forcing a 25-yard field goal attempt and make by Michael Badgley. [Patriots 0 : 17 Colts]
Back out for their fourth possession, the Patriots had 4:31 to get some points before the half. They started strong, moving into Indianapolis territory on just two plays: a 15 yard pass to Bourne and a 13 yard run by Stevenson. Two plays after that, Jones would hit Hunter Henry for a gain of 25 yards. A nine yard rush by Jakobi Meyers would lead to the 2:00 warning. Jonnu Smith was called for a false start out of the break, pushing New England back to the 18-yard line. A short Brandon Bolden run set up 3rd-and-3 from the Indianapolis 15-yard line. On the next play, Mac Jones threw an interception right into the arms of Darius Leonard. Colts ball.
With 1:43 remaining in the half, the Colts now had a chance to pick up more points before halftime, but the Colts were content with letting Jonathan Taylor burn the remaining clock in the half. [Halftime – Patriots 0 : 17 Colts]
Third Quarter
The Patriots came out with the ball and set themselves up with a third and short to start out the half. But Jones threw his second bad interception of the night, as Bobby Okereke undercut a check down to Brandon Bolden for Indy’s third turnover of the night.
The Colts decided to throw the ball in the red zone, but were unable to do anything as Kyle Dugger and J.C. Jackson each almost forced turnovers before Deatrich Wise Jr. and Matt Judon combined for a sack to force another field goal attempt. Michael Badgley missed right from 46-yards out, but the Patriots were called offside giving him another opportunity at the three points. He was true from 41. [Patriots 0 : 20 Colts]
Down 20-0, the Patriots offense needed points. They ran the ball on first down for a gain of five, then they ran the ball on second down where rookie Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled a ball that was recovered by Jonnu Smith. On 3rd-and-2, Indianapolis jumped offsides and gifted the Patriots a first down. Over the course of the next two plays, New England lost 10 yards due to a long incompletion and a block in the back penalty. Jones hit Agholor on two straight plays for a total of 19 yards to bring 4th-and-1. Jones rolled out and threw the ball into a sea of grass, turning the ball over to the Colts for the fourth time on the night.
Taking over inside New England territory, the Colts could pick up just nine yards on three plays bringing up another fourth down. With the math on their side, they went for it and converted on another Carson Wentz sneak. With tensions at a season high for New England, Kyle Dugger and Michael Pittman Jr got into it, with both players being disqualified for throwing punches that eventually led to a ref being sent to the ground.
The Patriots were ultimately able to force a field goal attempt following the ejections, where Michael Badgley missed from 49 yards out. If there was ever a chance for New England to get back into it, it would be now.
Jones and the Patriots offense took over at their own 39-yard line with just over 4:00 left in the third quarter. Jones hit Henry for a gain of 14 yards before Nelson Agholor made a great catch for 10 yards and another first down. He would be helped ushered off the field by the NFL’s concussion spotter. On 3rd-and-4 from the Indianapolis 31-yard line, Jones evaded pressure and chucked it across his body and into Hunter Henry’s arms for a first down. Jones hit Henry again, moving the Patriots inside the red zone. One play later, they were outside the red zone as Jakobi Meyers was called for holding on a could have been touchdown. Before the next play, Isaiah Wynn was called for a false start. On 1st-and-23 from the Indy 25-yard line, Brandon Bolden took a screen for 13 yards and ultimately bringing an end to the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Jones hit his favorite target Hunter Henry for a 12 yard touchdown. The Patriots have a glimmer of hope. [Patriots 7 : 20 Colts]
Back on offense, Indianapolis looked to pick things back up after a few slow drives prior. T.Y. Hilton picked up 19 yards and a first down, but Devin McCourty was able to intercept Wentz on a tipped pass by Jamie Collins. The Patriots are back in business.
The Patriots were unable to complete anything on first or second down on their ensuing drive, leading to a 3rd-and-10 from their own 47-yard line. Jones felt pressure and hit Brandon Bolden on a swing pass, who took it for 12 yards and a first down. New England looked to get tricky on the next play, but a slow developing flea flicker lead to a rushed throw by Jones that fell incomplete. N’Keal Harry made a catch one yard short of the sticks, bringing up 3rd-and-1 with two chances to convert. On their first attempt, Stevenson was stopped short of the line of scrimmage. On 4th-and-1, Jones hit Meyers for a first down to move the Patriots into the extended red area. Kendrick Bourne took a reverse to the Indianapolis 4-yard line on the next play, before the Patriots would be forced into another third down situation, where Michael Onwenu would be called for a false start. On 3rd-and-goal from the 7-yard line, Jones was flushed out of the pocket and forced to throw it away. New England chose to take three points and cut the lead to ten. [Patriots 10 : 20 Colts]
Indianapolis would take over at the 22-yard line on their ensuing possession. Jonathan Taylor took a handoff for 12 yards to start the drive. They fed him again for six more yards, then three yards to bring up yet another 3rd-and-1 where Taylor would be stood up by Lawrence Guy. Around midfield, the Colts chose to go for it on fourth down. On 4th-and-1 from their own 44-yard line, Wentz snuck the ball for the third time on the night and converted for the third time. With 4:50 left in the game, up by 10 points, and holding the ball around midfield, Indianapolis’ focus shifted from moving the ball to killing clock. New England was able to stop them on three straight runs, allowing them to take just 1:02 off the clock.
New England took over at their own 18-yard line with one timeout and 3:48 remaining in regulation. In hurry up, Mac Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for 20 yards before ultimately being faced with a 3rd-and-6 from their own 43-yard line where he hit N’Keal Harry deep for a gain of 43 yards.
On 2nd-and-goal, Mac Jones hit Henry for another touchdown to cut the lead to three. [Patriots 17 : 20 Colts]
Down 3 with 2:21 left, New England chose to kick deep and play defense. New England stopped Indy for a gain of two on first down and called a timeout. On the next play, Jonathan Taylor ended things with a 67-yard touchdown run. [Patriots 17 : 27 Colts]
The Patriots offense needed 10 points in 2:00 following Taylor’s MVP-style run. A screen to Bolden took them to midfield, before Andrew Sendejo hit N’Keal Harry in the back of the head, leading to the departure of both men from the field. Eventually the Patriots would be faced with a 4th-and-10 from the 50-yard line, Jones’ prayer across the field to Gunner Olszewski would not be answered. New England turned it over on downs and Indianapolis killed the clock. [FINAL – Patriots 17 : 27 Colts]
Bank of England’s Bailey says ‘the warning signs are there’ on inflation
LONDON — Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey told CNBC the “warning signs are there” on inflation, but the central bank will need to see further evidence from the labor market before hiking rates.
The Bank surprised markets somewhat by keeping interest rates unchanged on Thursday, with many investors having backed it to become the first major central bank to hike rates since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bailey had been among the officials striking a hawkish tone in the run up to the November policy meeting, but the Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 to hold its benchmark interest rate at its historic low of 0.1%. However, it strongly indicated that rates will have to rise imminently, with markets now expecting a hike at its final meeting of the year in December.
Asked whether Thursday’s policy decision had damaged the Bank’s credibility, Bailey stressed that his previous remarks that the MPC would have to act on inflation were “conditional” on whether it begins to see medium-term inflation expectations becoming “de-anchored.”
“We don’t yet see, and we don’t see, evidence of that happening, but of course we are in what I might call a sort of very fragile period, in that sense, because we’ve got inflation going well above target,” Bailey told CNBC’s Geoff Cutmore shortly after the rate decision.
“The warning signs are there, the bells are ringing, as it were, so we have to watch this carefully, and that’s what we’re doing.”
The MPC also voted 6-3 to continue existing program of U.K. government bond purchases at a target stock of £875 billion ($1.2 trillion).
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey.
Simon Dawson | Bloomberg via Getty Images
Bailey said the decision to keep rates at 0.1% was a “close call,” adding that the reason policymakers held off was that it hadn’t yet seen evidence on the state of the labor market after the end of the country’s furlough scheme on Sept. 30. Around 1 million workers were still on the scheme when it ended, which exceeded the Bank’s prior expectations.
“Clearly that was quite an important moment in time and shift in the labor market, and we haven’t yet seen any data that really give us a clear steer on what has happened post that,” he said.
U.K. job vacancies hit a record 1.1 million in the three months to August, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.5%, indicating a tightening of the labor market and potentially higher wage growth.
Investors had been uncertain as to whether the Bank would fire the starting gun on its path toward policy normalization on Thursday, with market data at the beginning of the week indicating that derivatives traders were pricing in a 64% probability of a 15 basis point hike.
British inflation slowed unexpectedly in September, rising 3.1% in annual terms, but analysts expect this to be a brief respite for consumers. August’s 3.2% annual climb was the largest increase since records began in 1997, and vastly exceeded the Bank’s 2% target.
The Bank now expects inflation to rise further to around 5% in the spring of 2022 before falling back toward its 2% target by late 2023.
“Incredible” Roman statues unearthed in England’s HS2 rail excavation
Archeologists have uncovered a set of “incredible” rare Roman statues while excavating a site in England ahead of a high speed rail project, the rail company said in a statement.
Two complete statues of a woman and a man, along with the head of a child, were found at the site of the old St Mary’s Norman church in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, south east England, while archeologists were excavating a ditch around the foundations of an Anglo-Saxon tower.
As experts working on the High Speed 2 (HS2) project dug down, they found the three “stylistically Roman” busts, a discovery which archeologists have described as “astounding.”
A rare Roman glass jug was discovered during the dig at the site of old St Mary’s church in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire. Credit: HS2
“For us to end the dig with these utterly astounding finds is beyond exciting,” Rachel Wood, lead archaeologist for Fusion JV, who is working on the project, said in a statement.
“The statues are exceptionally well preserved, and you really get an impression of the people they depict — literally looking into the faces of the past is a unique experience,” Wood added.
“Of course, it leads us to wonder what else might be buried beneath England’s medieval village churches. This has truly been a once in a lifetime site and we are all looking forward to hearing what more the specialists can tell us about these incredible statues and the history of the site before the construction of the Norman church.”
HS2 archaeologists excavating Roman artefacts. Credit: HS2
Two of the busts were made up of a head and torso which had been split apart, which experts say “is not entirely unusual,” because statues were commonly vandalized before being torn down.
Experts also retrieved an “incredibly well-preserved” hexagonal glass Roman jug — which, though it is presumed to be over 1,000 years old, had large pieces intact — as well as large roof tiles, painted wall plaster and Roman cremation urns.
The team believe that the site — a natural mound, covered with soil to make a taller mound — may have been a Bronze Age burial site. This was later replaced by a square building, which experts think is a Roman mausoleum.
“Roman materials found in the ditch around are too ornate and not enough in number to suggest the site was a domestic building,” HS2 said in a press release.
The findings will be transferred to a specialist laboratory, where they will be cleaned and examined.
England’s Isle of Wight was Isle of Fright, with two big dinosaur predators
By Will Dunham
(Reuters) – Fossils found on a rocky beach show there was double trouble on England’s Isle of Wight about 127 million years ago, with a pair of large previously unknown dinosaur predators living perhaps side by side, both adapted to hunting along the water’s edge.
Scientists on Wednesday announced the discovery of fossils of the two Cretaceous Period meat-eaters – both measuring about 30 feet long (9 meters) and boasting elongated crocodile-like skulls – on the southwest of the island, one of Europe’s richest locales for dinosaur remains.
They are examples of a type of dinosaur called a spinosaur, known for long and narrow skulls with lots of conical teeth – perfect for grasping slippery fish – as well as strong arms and big claws.
One is named Ceratosuchops inferodios, meaning “horned crocodile-faced hell heron.” The name refers to a heron because of that bird’s shoreline-foraging lifestyle. Ceratosuchops had a series of low horns and bumps ornamenting its brow region.
The second is named Riparovenator milnerae, meaning “Milner’s riverbank hunter,” honoring British paleontologist Angela Milner, who died in August. It may have been slightly larger than Ceratosuchops.
Each are estimated to have weighed around one to two tons, with skulls around a yard long, according to Chris Barker, a University of Southampton PhD student in paleontology and lead author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“Both would have been heron-like shoreline hunters, wading out into water and thrusting the head down quickly to grab things like fish, small turtles, et cetera, and on land would do something similar, grabbing baby dinosaurs or the like. They would basically have eaten anything small they could grab,” said paleontologist and study co-author David Hone of Queen Mary University of London.
Spinosaurs were part of the broad group of bipedal meat-eating dinosaurs called theropods that included the likes of Tyrannosaurus rex https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/like-godzilla-actually-real-study-shows-t-rex-numbered-25-billion-2021-04-15. As semi-aquatic hunters, spinosaurs targeted different prey and lacked the massive, boxier skull and large serrated teeth of T. rex, which inhabited North America about 60 million years later.
Ceratosuchops and Riparovenator roamed a floodplain environment bathed in a subtropical Mediterranean-like climate. Forest fires occasionally ravaged the landscape, with fossils of burned wood found throughout Isle of Wight cliffs.
With a large river and other bodies of water attracting plant-eating dinosaurs and hosting numerous bony fish, sharks and crocodiles, the habitat provided Ceratosuchops and Riparovenator plenty of hunting opportunities, Barker said.
These two cousins may have lived at the same time, perhaps differing in prey preference, or may have been separated a bit in time, the researchers said. There was a third roughly contemporaneous spinosaur named Baryonyx, whose fossils were unearthed in the 1980s, that lived nearby and was about the same size, maybe slightly smaller.
Partial remains of Ceratosuchops and Riparovenator were discovered near the town of Brighstone. Ceratosuchops is known from skull material, while Riparovenator is known from both skull and tail material. There are braincase remains for both, giving particular insight into these creatures.
The fossils helped the scientists produce a family tree of spinosaurs, indicating the lineage originated in Europe before moving into Africa, Asia and South America, according to University of Southampton paleobiologist Neil Gostling, who supervised the research project.
The largest one, Spinosaurus, reached 50 feet (15 meters) long and lived in North Africa roughly 95 million years ago. It differed from its Isle of Wight forerunners, boasting a large sail-like structure on its back and adaptations for a more aquatic lifestyle.
(Reporting by Will Dunham in Washington, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
England’s COVID-19 travel rules simplified in boost to industry
LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – Britain simplified rules on Friday for international travel to England in a boost to the tourism industry, including scrapping the need for fully vaccinated passengers to take expensive COVID-19 tests on arrival from low-risk countries.
Under the new proposals, destinations will simply be ranked low or high risk, instead of red, amber and green. Eight countries, including Turkey, Pakistan and the Maldives, will be removed from the high-risk red band from next Wednesday which requires passengers to quarantine in a hotel.
From Oct. 4, vaccinated passengers arriving from low-risk countries will be permitted to take a cheaper lateral flow test, rather than the privately administered PCR lab tests now required. PCR tests for a family now can cost hundreds of pounds.
“Today’s changes mean a simpler, more straightforward system. One with less testing and lower costs, allowing more people to travel, see loved ones or conduct business around the world while providing a boost for the travel industry,” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement.
The British government sets policy for England, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in charge of their own rules.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced months of pressure to ease the restrictions. Airlines and travel companies blamed the testing and complicated rules for the slowness of a recovery in air travel over the summer and warned that far-reaching changes were needed or more job losses would follow the 100,000 already lost.
The industry, already on its knees after 18 months of restrictions, is facing a cliff edge as a government furlough scheme ends later this month with winter approaching, when fewer people travel and businesses tend to make a loss.
RECOVERY LAGS
Unvaccinated travellers returning from low-risk countries will be required to take a pre-departure test, plus PCR tests on day two and day eight, and to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival, the government said.
England will also expand the list of countries from which it recognises vaccinations, after the success of a pilot with the United States and Europe. Another 17 countries and territories will be added to the list, including Japan and Singapore.
Data shows that Britain’s travel recovery is lagging. UK flights were down 39% compared with pre-pandemic levels for the two weeks to early Sept. 6, while France, Spain and Italy were down between 24% and 28%, according to Eurocontrol.
The travel company Thomas Cook described the changes as “a shot in the arm for the travel industry” while airline bosses, such as EasyJet(EZJ.L)Chief Executive Johan Lundgren, urged the government to go further by eliminating any screening of vaccinated travellers from low-risk countries.
The British Airline Pilots Association said the changes were good news for the industry. But workers in the sector would be among those most hurt by the end of the government’s furlough programme, which has paid salaries of staff sent home during the pandemic and expires at the end of this month.
“But there is still a way to go before UK aviation can truly take off again and the industry remains precariously placed after a dire summer season,” BALPA Acting General Secretary Martin Chalk said. “With furlough ending it is going to be hard for cash strapped airlines to get back up and running as demand returns.”
($1 = 0.7247 pound)
Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Costas Pitas, Guy Faulconbridge and Sarah Young, Editing by Angus MacSwan, Philippa Fletcher, Peter Graff and Jonathan Oatis
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
England’s players reportedly racially abused by Hungary fans during World Cup qualifier, according to FA
ITV reporter Gabriel Clarke, who was at the stadium, says he heard monkey chants directed at Raheem Sterling, as well as at substitute Jude Bellingham as he was preparing to come on.
Hungary had been ordered by UEFA, European football’s governing body, to play its next three home games behind closed doors after fans’ discriminatory behavior at Euro 2020, but this ban wasn’t yet implemented as World Cup qualifiers fall under FIFA’s jurisdiction.
“Following analysis of the match reports, FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings concerning the incidents last night at the game Hungary-England,” FIFA said in a statement to CNN on Friday.
“Once again, FIFA would like to state that our position remains firm and resolute in rejecting any form of racism and violence as well as any other form of discrimination or abuse.
“We have a very clear zero tolerance stance against such abhorrent behaviours in football.”
READ: Romelu Lukaku says racism in football is at an ‘all-time high’
In a statement, the English Football Association (FA) said it was “extremely disappointing” to hear reports of “discriminatory actions” directed towards some of its players.
“We will be asking FIFA to investigate the matter,” the statement read. “We continue to support the players and staff in our collective determination to highlight and tackle discrimination in all its forms.”
England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire wrote on Instagram: “Since last night’s match I’ve spoken to my team mates and seen some of the footage.
“Any discrimination is totally unacceptable and the authorities must look into it. Racism has no place in our game or society.”
The Hungarian Football Federation said in a statement to CNN: “The vast majority of the 60,000 fans present in the Puskás Aréna supported the teams in a sporting manner, cheering on the Hungarian national team even when the team was already losing. It is in their defense that the minority of disruptive ticket-holders need to be identified and severely punished.
“Fans entering the field of play, throwing flares and plastic cups are in the process of being identified. The MLSZ has already filed or will file police reports against them and will pass on any financial penalties to the perpetrators through civil litigation. Furthermore, at the end of proceedings, those found guilty can expect a two-year ban from all sporting events.
“The Hungarian Federation and the players, head coach all made an extremely strong communication campaign before the game to call supporters to avoid all kind of racist, xenophobic behaviors during all matches of the national team.”
In a later statement to CNN, it added that its “approach to racism on the stands is pretty clear — it has no room in a football stadium.
“HFF is also consistent on this in club competitions in Hungary. We clearly stated ahead of the game that racism is unacceptable. There are investigations but at this stage we can say anybody who behaved as mentioned will be sanctioned.”
England’s players also had cups and bottles thrown at them during each of the goal celebrations — with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish amusingly pretending to drink out of them — while a flare was thrown onto the pitch as the team celebrated Harry Maguire’s goal.
After the game, England forward Marcus Rashford, who is currently out following shoulder surgery, took to social media in support of his teammates.
“My brothers. Every single one of them. Proud of you boys,” he tweeted.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who previously failed to condemn fans who booed England’s players while they took the knee, tweeted: “It is completely unacceptable that England players were racially abused in Hungary last night.
“I urge FIFA to take strong action against those responsible to ensure that this kind of disgraceful behavior is eradicated from the game for good.”