United Kingdom

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UK Lawmakers Warn of Afghan Civil War

Plan appears to be to 'hope for the best,' committee finds

(Newser) - Afghanistan is in danger of descending into civil war after coalition forces end their frontline role next year, and the UK government's strategy appears to be simply to withdraw and hope for the best, a group of British lawmakers warns. A report from a cross-party defense committee warns that...

Thatcher Death Brings Tributes—and Street Parties

UK's first female PM as divisive as ever

(Newser) - The death of Margaret Thatcher brought glowing tributes to the former British prime minister from world leaders, but the reaction in her homeland highlights the divisive nature of her 11-year rule, Reuters reports. News of her death was soon followed by street parties in Glasgow and in Brixton, a part...

Britain Flies 1M Euros to Troops in Cyprus

...in case the ATM machines stop working

(Newser) - How's this for a tangible sign of the banking mess in Cyprus: Britain's Royal Air Force is flying in a plane loaded with 1 million euros so its troops stationed there don't get stuck without cash, reports the Independent . The defense ministry made the move after the...

Iran Shipping More Weapons to Assad
Iran Shipping More Weapons to Assad
Mar 14, 2013 4:30 AM CDT

Iran Shipping More Weapons to Assad

Meanwhile, French official says they want to arm opposition

(Newser) - Iran has drastically increased its arms shipments to Syria in recent months, sending weapons to Bashar al-Assad's regime, and to its Hezbollah supporters, in what is increasingly becoming a Shiite-vs-Sunni conflict, Western diplomats tell Reuters . The weapons are flowing primarily through Iraq—despite Iraqi protestations to the contrary—but...

Falklands Votes to Stay British, 1,513 to 3

99.8% of islanders happy with status quo

(Newser) - The referendum on whether Falkland Islanders want to remain British has ended with a vote overwhelmingly in favor of the status quo. With turnout above 90%, 1,513 voters wanted the disputed islands to remain a British overseas territory while just three voted no, reports the BBC . "It is...

Argentina Grumbles as Falklanders Vote on Future

Huge 'yes' vote expected in referendum on staying British

(Newser) - The 1,675 eligible voters in the Falkland Islands are being asked whether they want to remain British and only the scale of the "yes" vote in the two-day referendum is in doubt. Argentina, which claims the islands as its own and went to war over them in 1982,...

Horse Meat Found in UK School Lunches

Scandal also spreads to Norway

(Newser) - Looks like UK schoolkids are among the many who have been unwittingly eating horse meat . DNA tests have found horse meat in cottage pies sent to 47 Lancashire schools. Officials believe only a "minute" amount of the rogue meat was actually consumed by children, and say the meat isn'...

UK House of Commons Passes Gay Marriage

But bill still has to pass House of Lords to become law

(Newser) - The UK's House of Commons overwhelmingly voted to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage today, by a vote of 400 to 175, the BBC reports. The bill allows religious organizations to conduct gay marriages if they so choose; same-sex couples to convert their civil partnerships to marriages; and married...

UN to Investigate US, UK Drone Attacks

Critics say drone strikes hit civilians, violate int'l laws

(Newser) - In the face of mounting criticism about US and UK drone strikes , the United Nations is going to investigate the use of drones in targeted killings in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, reports the Guardian . The investigation will look at drone strikes in Mali and those made by Israel into...

Cameron: Brits Will Vote on EU Exit

But he'll have to win reelection in 2015 first

(Newser) - British PM David Cameron made an impassioned case today for his country to stick with the European Union, but said it's time for Britons "to have their say" on the matter, reports the New York Times . He promised an "in-or-out" referendum as early as 2017—provided, of...

UK Blasts Starbucks, Google for 'Immoral' Tax Evasion

Starbucks vows to clean up its act

(Newser) - British lawmakers today accused Starbucks, Google, Amazon, and other major global companies of immoral tax avoidance, with Parliament's public accounts committee saying the government should "get a grip" on multinationals that exploit tax laws to move profits generated in Britain to offshore domains. The companies "are getting...

Ecuador to UK: Can We Send Assange to the Hospital?

He risks extradition if he leaves embassy

(Newser) - Ecuador's London embassy is asking England for safe passage for Julian Assange should he need to go to the hospital. Assange's health has apparently declined since he sought asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June, but he risks arrest if he leaves the building, reports Reuters...

Scottish Independence Vote Set for 2014
 Scottish Independence 
 Vote Set for 2014 
UPDATED
Oct 15, 2012 3:39 AM CDT

Scottish Independence Vote Set for 2014

Cameron, Salmond announce deal for referendum

(Newser) - The countdown to Scotland's referendum on independence from the UK officially began today, as British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived in Edinburgh and signed an agreement with Scottish leader Alex Salmond, the BBC reports. The deal settles the terms of the 2014 referendum on whether to end the 305-year-old...

Radical Cleric to Be Extradited to US

Al-Masri, 4 others might be on a plane today

(Newser) - Radical preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri and four other terror suspects who have fought for years to avoid facing charges in the United States have no more grounds for appeal and can be extradited from Britain immediately, Britain's High Court ruled today. The British government said it planned to put...

Dog the Bounty Hunter Banned From Britain

Visa rejected due to murder conviction

(Newser) - Looking to stay a step ahead of Dog the Bounty Hunter? Try going to Britain, where immigration officials have decided he isn't welcome. The reality TV star, real name Duane Chapman, has had his visa application rejected because of a murder conviction from the late '70s, reports the...

Scotland to Legalize Gay Marriage

Even though a government survey finds widespread disapproval

(Newser) - The first legal gay marriages in Scotland are expected to take place in 2015 under new legislation being pushed by the government, reports the BBC . Barring any surprises, Scotland would be the first part of the UK to sanction same-sex weddings. The plan comes despite strong opposition from the Catholic...

Britain Cutting Army by a Fifth

Budget cuts to shrink force by end of decade

(Newser) - The British Army is taking a sizable cut as part of the government's austerity drive. The country's defense secretary unveiled plans yesterday to cut the force's 102,000 troops to 82,000 by the end of this decade, axing a total of 17 units and merging others,...

Europe Stocks Slump Ahead of EU Summit

Plenty of gloom and doom continuing for euro and eurozone

(Newser) - European stocks and the euro all fell this morning, as investors remain skeptical that this week's EU summit is going to accomplish much of anything, reports the Wall Street Journal . The euro fell to $1.2490 from $1.2574 last Friday, while indexes were down across the continent, with...

Suu Kyi Makes Historic Speech

Asks Britain for help making Burma 'true democracy'

(Newser) - Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday asked the UK parliament for help in bringing democracy to Burma, becoming the first non-head of state ever to address both Houses, reports Reuters . "We have an opportunity to reestablish true democracy in Burma. It is an opportunity for which we have waited decades,...

UK Youths Don't Know Where Bacon Comes From?

They're not so good with milk or butter, either, at least according to survey

(Newser) - Either young people in Britain are comically ignorant about where food comes from or young people in Britain like to goof on survey-takers. Or maybe something in between. Whichever, British papers are aghast at the results. Some highlights of the poll of 2,000 youths, ages 16 to 23, from...

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