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Paris Olympics Brings Out Hoses And Misters To Cool Down Fans During Heat Wave

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Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Schedule, and Start Time Today

PARIS — The 2024 Olympics were memorably kicked off with a rain-soaked opening ceremony that soaked athletes and fans alike. They are now experiencing the polar opposite on Tuesday: a heat wave.

The national weather agency has issued a heat wave warning for most of France. Temperatures in Paris and nearby areas are forecast to reach 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) or higher. Air conditioning is significantly less common in French houses, stores, and restaurants than in countries such as the United States.

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Olympics | AP news image

Paris Olympics Brings Out Hoses And Misters To Cool Down Fans During Heat Wave

“It’s really hot out there,” German women’s tennis star Angelique Kerber said on Tuesday after winning her singles match. “You just try to take your time during the breaks.”

The heat was forecast to be considerably worse in the south, especially the area surrounding the Mediterranean city of Marseille, which is hosting Olympic activities such as sailing and football. On Monday, temperatures in portions of southern France reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and were forecast to reach that level again on Tuesday.

Back-to-back global heat records were set last week as climate change makes extreme weather more common and intense. The Paris 2024 organizers have tried to reduce the event’s carbon footprint by using an underfloor cooling system and insulation instead of air conditioning in the Olympic Village, where athletes will reside. Some countries, including the United States, brought their air conditioning systems.

Visitors and athletes had a hot and sunny Tuesday before thunderstorms were due to hit the Paris area in the evening. People took a plunge in a popular swimming canal in Paris or fanned themselves at exposed Olympic venues.

Volunteers used hoses to shower down applauding fans at the shadeless beach volleyball stadium near the Eiffel Tower and posted signs directing them to water replenishing stations. Spectators sought shade under trees, while players on the sun-baked sand—which may be more than 20 degrees Celsius (30 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than the air temperature—took extra rests to drape bags of ice over their heads and shoulders.

“Very hot,” Egyptian beach volleyball player Doaa Elghobashy said after competing in long sleeves, trousers and a headscarf. “But not like Egypt.”

A few misters were installed at La Concorde Urban Park, which has hosted skateboarding and BMX freestyle riding. The Paris area’s rail and metro operator said it was distributing more than 2.5 million water containers at over 70 train stations, other stops on its network, including bus stops.

The equestrian teams were washing their horses with cool water and keeping them in the shade after completing the course, which did not take long. Riders also stated that they reduced the warmup time from 45 minutes to half an hour before competitions in the imperial gardens of the Palace of Versailles outside Paris.

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Olympics | AP news Image

“It’s really hot, but you have to be professional about it,” British rider Carl Hester said following an event on Tuesday. “There are plenty of stroll breaks to allow the horses to relax. We have a covered arena, which keeps the sun off their backs.”

German rider Julia Krajewski, the defending Olympic champion in individual eventing, stated that she “would be more worried for the spectators to be honest.”

She remarked on Monday that she was not concerned about competing in her thick jacket, helmet, and heavy boots since “I personally prefer the heat,” but “you have to be sensitive, know your horse.”

Some other athletes were not as concerned.

Coco Gauff, a U.S. tennis player, claimed Monday, before the worst of the heat, that she “felt good” after her match and that it was “like playing in Florida.”

“I did use the ice towel, which I rarely do during matches, but it was more of a precaution,” the reigning U.S. Open champion said a day before being ousted in singles competition.

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who defeated Spain’s Rafael Nadal on Monday, noted that it was “pretty hot on the court,” contrasting to Saturday’s rain. “Paris weather is quite unpredictable,” he informed me.

Further south, American windsurfer Dominique Stater wore an ice pack vest after her races in Marseille on Monday. The temperature reached 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) in the late afternoon.

olympics

Olympics | AP news Image

Paris Olympics Brings Out Hoses And Misters To Cool Down Fans During Heat Wave

“It’s pretty crazy heat, more than Miami,” remarked Stater, who hails from the humid Florida city.

According to Stater, staying hydrated is a primary priority, especially because windsurfers are outfitted with heavy safety gear.

Weather authorities are giving the same advice to anyone planning to go outside on Tuesday: Hydrate, avoid going out in the afternoon when it is hot, and wear a hat.

According to France’s national weather bureau, heat waves are becoming “increasingly intense, frequent, early, and long-lasting” due to climate change. The report states that such high temperatures were reported on average once every five years prior to 1989 but have been repeated every year since 2000. This suggests that the tendency will continue to increase.

SOURCE | AP

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Returning to the UK a “No Go” for Prince Harry and Meghan

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Prince Harry and Meghan
Prince Harry and Meghan - Facebook Image

A source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claim that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do not want to return permanently to the United Kingdom. Prince Harry will stay stationed in the United States, where he resides with his wife and their children.

It is known that worries about his and his family’s safety in the UK still exist.

According to the BBC, Prince Harry and Meghan are also unlikely to wish to abandon the business and charitable endeavours they developed while residing in the US.

There have been rumours of a disgruntled prince in California, who is getting close to turning forty and is unhappy with his life among the unrooted rich, trying to re-establish ties with his former life in the UK before he resigned as a working royal.

However, reliable sources have asserted a different story, stating that a return to royal life in the UK is not likely.

They contend that Prince Harry can visit the UK again and is just as capable of funding his charitable endeavours and charities from the US.

He flew back to the US after visiting the UK last week for his uncle’s memorial ceremony.

Claims that Prince Harry and Prince William had not talked throughout the church service in Norfolk, despite their growing frigid distance from one another, accounted for a large portion of the attention around the ceremony.

Prince Harry appeared to have maintained strong ties to the late Lord Robert Fellowes, who was Princess Diana’s brother-in-law on the Spencer side of the family.

The prince was spotted beside his Spencer family members during an Invictus Games service held at St. Paul’s Cathedral earlier this summer. Senior royals were not present at the event.

As soon as it was known that King Charles had cancer, the prince swiftly left for the UK, meeting briefly with his father in London.

There have also been excursions to London’s legal courts, when he fought the tabloids over allegations of illegal information collecting.

His security status in the UK is the subject of a continuing, intricate legal battle with the Home Office that has become a contentious topic in any conversation of a return.

The prince stated that he wouldn’t “bring my wife back to this country” in an interview with ITV because he was afraid for their safety.

But now that the pair has made such a public exit from royal life in the UK—in a Netflix movie and his book Spare—there will undoubtedly be speculative discussions about what will happen to them next.

Prince Harry and Meghan could reside anywhere in the virtual world if they didn’t have a royal duty; currently, that’s WFC (where they work from California).

In addition to their charitable endeavours, Meghan has teased a lifestyle cooking business on social media.

Though it is difficult to imagine they won’t want to stir up more than pots of jam given the impending US presidential election and the likelihood that topics they have brought up, including internet disinformation, would likely be debatable.

There have been other visits as well, most notably to Colombia, but they had so many of the hallmarks of a royal visit that it made one wonder whether they were actually travelling back to the world of the royals they were trying to leave behind.

There will be more inquiries about Prince Harry’s long-term future job as his 40th birthday draws near and there is a great deal of public curiosity.

Related News:

Prince Harry Opens Up About Emotional Distance in Royal Family

Prince Harry Opens Up About Emotional Distance in Royal Family

 

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Uk Weather: Thunderstorm warning for England and East Wales

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Uk Weather Thunderstorm warning for England and East Wales

Uk Weather: Forecasters have issued warnings for thunderstorms and heavy showers for Sunday, protecting a significant portion of England and portions of eastern Wales from the potential for severe weather.

According to the Met Office, the phenomenon could cause “a small chance of flooding and disruption” in some regions. At four o’clock British Summer Time, the yellow warning that urges people to “be aware” goes into effect, encompassing significant portions of southern England, the Midlands, and the north.

Forecasters are warning that thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected to develop in the southern region of England on Sunday morning and move northward during the day.

In England, the warning applies to a region located in the middle of the nation, stretching from the Isle of Wight to Newcastle upon Tyne. The warning has been issued for the counties of Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen, and Wrexham, which are located in the eastern part of Wales.

The Metropolitan Office has warned of flooding and stated that “frequent lightning strikes and hail will be additional hazards” across the southern and central regions of England.

The BBC Weather predicts that the United Kingdom will see a swarm of warm and humid air coming from the south-eastern direction until Sunday. In addition, a series of intense rainstorms will sweep northward over the central spine of England and east Wales.

In the event that these thunderstorms do materialize, there is a possibility that they will be accompanied by intense, gusty winds, lightning, and heavy rain. However, it is also possible that they may be fairly sporadic.

In spite of the fact that pinpointing the precise areas of these showers is rather difficult, it is recommended that you remain current with the most recent prediction since it is subject to change, as stated by BBC weather.

There is a possibility that temperatures may reach as high as 27 degrees Celsius in some regions of south-eastern England as a result of the warmer and more humid air. Temperatures will range from the low to the middle of the 20s Celsius in many locations.

Source: BBC

 

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UK Immigration Raids Increase Risks of Exploitation for Undocumented Migrants

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UK Immigration Raids Increase Risks of Exploitation for Undocumented Migrants

In a growing chorus of concern, over 80 charities, including prominent organizations like Care4Calais, City of Sanctuary UK, and Anti-Slavery International, have called on the Home Secretary to overhaul the UK’s immigration policies.

Their joint letter, coordinated by Migrant Voice, criticizes the government’s recent intensification of immigration raids and deportations, arguing that these measures are exacerbating the risks faced by undocumented migrants.

The letter, sent on Friday, highlights the increasing danger of exploitation faced by migrants who are driven further underground by aggressive enforcement actions.

These policies, they argue, not only fail to address the root causes of undocumented status but also make migrants more vulnerable to abuse by unscrupulous employers and human trafficking gangs.

On August 27, the Home Office announced the results of a week-long “intensive operation” targeting illegal working, which saw 275 premises investigated and 135 issued notices for employing undocumented workers.

Despite the government’s assertion that such operations aim to protect vulnerable individuals, the raids led to the detention of 85 “illegal workers.”

The situation has been compounded by a recent record-breaking deportation event. Earlier this month, the government deported over 200 individuals to Brazil, marking the largest single deportation flight on record.

Since the Labour government came to power, there have been at least nine such deportation charter flights.

Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, criticized the government’s approach, stating, “Immigration raids and deportations do not address the fundamental issue that many individuals become undocumented through no fault of their own.

Errors in paperwork or poor communication from the Home Office can result in people losing their status overnight.”

Ramadan advocates for a policy shift towards regularisation, arguing that it would be more cost-effective and beneficial for the economy than current detention and deportation practices.

“Rather than penalising people for their undocumented status, the government should simplify the process for them to regain documented status,” Ramadan suggested.

Many undocumented individuals have established lives and families in the UK, having lived in the country for years or even decades.

The letter contends that regularisation would not only reduce the financial burden of detention and deportation but also boost economic growth by enabling these individuals to contribute more fully to the economy.

“The raids are very traumatising,” Ramadan added. “People who are already vulnerable are becoming more so, retreating further underground. This policy has been tried and failed by many governments.

Regularisation offers a better solution, allowing people to come out of the shadows and live normal lives.”

The Home Office has been contacted for comment on the letter’s allegations and the ongoing concerns raised by the charities.

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