United Kingdom

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Mercury Prize Noms Mix Rock, Rap, Jazz

(Newser) - Scruffy rockers Kasabian and indie darling Florence and the Machine lead this year's nominations for the Mercury Prize, Britain's most prestigious musical award. The $33,000 gong, previously won by PJ Harvey and the Arctic Monkeys, is famous for its eclectic shortlist. True to form, this year's nominees include a...

In a Recession, One Counts Swans Oneself

Queen becomes first monarch to undertake centuries-old census

(Newser) - With Britain still stuck in a biting recession, Queen Elizabeth is doing a bit of her own home economics—yesterday, she got on a barge and became the first monarch to undertake the annual counting of the swans. Traditionally the Queen owns all the swans on the River Thames, although...

Righty Radio Host Savage Off 'Banned in Britain' List

Conservative talk-show still suing former UK home secretary for libel

(Newser) - Radio talk-show host Michael Savage can again enter the UK after Britain’s new home secretary decided to take him off the country’s “banned in Britain” list, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The conservative pundit is still suing the former home secretary, Jacqui Smith, for libel after putting...

Churchill's WWII Bunker Was Bogus
Churchill's
WWII Bunker Was Bogus
Jul 20, 2009 7:00 AM CDT

Churchill's WWII Bunker Was Bogus

War rooms, in barely converted basements, weren't bomb-proof

(Newser) - Winston Churchill kept the British government running through World War II from a bunker underneath central London, but a new exhibition reveals the prime minister's fury that his office was vulnerable to attack. The hastily converted war rooms, where Churchill and his staff worked and slept, lay only 10 feet...

UK Issues Swine Flu Alert for Pregnant Women, Babies

UK docs release special precautions for most at risk

(Newser) - Amid increasing concern that pregnant women and young children are most at risk from swine flu, experts in the UK are warning them to take extra precautions, the Telegraph reports. Doctors suggest avoiding unnecessary travel and crowds, particularly on trains and the London Underground. Most swine flu cases wouldn’t...

After Rash of Deaths, UK Rethinks Afghanistan

(Newser) - Eight British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan last week within just 24 hours, the worst day of casualties the UK had seen in 30 years. After 15 fatalities in July alone, Gordon Brown is facing severe criticism for underfinancing the war effort, particularly for not providing enough helicopters to troops,...

No Jackson Concert Tonight, But Hundreds Gather Anyway

(Newser) - Hundreds of fans are camped out in the front of the O2 arena in London where Michael Jackson was to begin his 50-concert stand today, the BBC reports. “I want to feel a bit closer,” said one of the approximately 600 fans. “We’ve been reminiscing and...

Teary Winehouse Returns to UK
 Teary Winehouse 
 Returns to UK 
Jul 13, 2009 12:23 PM CDT

Teary Winehouse Returns to UK

(Newser) - Amy Winehouse cried tears of joy in a London airport as she returned to England today after 8 months on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, the Daily Mail reports. “She’s really happy to be back and can't wait to catch up with family and friends,” a...

Scotland Yard Launches, Ends Probe of News Corp. Hacking

Unsourced report broke no new ground: cops

(Newser) - Scotland Yard, smarting from a report that it failed to inform victims of a British tabloid's rampant phone hacking, today opened and quickly closed an investigation into the potentially explosive matter, reports the New York Times. Cops reportedly had evidence of thousands of incidences of illegal activity by private...

UK Phone Firm Seeks 160-Word Resumes

Text messages force 'sassy' applicants to get to the point

(Newser) - A British firm is asking job candidates to apply for its marketing job by text message, BBC reports. With a 160-character word limit, mobile phone services company Teimlo hopes to separate those who “just want any job” from applicants who are “sassy” and “good with words,”...

Roddick Gains Final vs. Federer
 Roddick Gains Final 
 vs. Federer 
wimbledon
Jul 3, 2009 1:00 PM CDT

Roddick Gains Final vs. Federer

(Newser) - Andy Roddick reached his third Wimbledon final today in London, beating local hero Andy Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5). Roddick will face five-time champion Roger Federer on Sunday. The American lost to Federer in the 2004 and '05 finals, as well as the '03 semifinals. Murray had been...

UK Predicts 100,000 New Swine Flu Cases Every Day

Government instructs doctors to stop testing for H1N1

(Newser) - Incidences of swine flu have spiked rapidly across Britain, and the country's health secretary predicted yesterday that the UK could see 100,000 new cases every day by August, the Guardian reports. Doctors are being instructed to concentrate on treatment instead of containment. "We have always known it would...

UK Embassy Staff Will Face Trial in Iran

Leading cleric also accuses Britain of instigating protests

(Newser) - Some of the detained Iranian staffers of the British Embassy in Tehran will be put on trial, the leader of the country's powerful Guardian Council said today. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati also accused Britain of a role in instigating widespread protests that erupted over the country's disputed presidential election. Yesterday, the...

Murray's Right: Wimbledon's Roof Changes the Game

Indoor conditions slow serve by 1mph, scientists say

(Newser) - On Monday night Andy Murray played the latest match ever at Wimbledon, pushing through five sets under the center court's new retractable roof. The lanky Scot complained that the "very, very heavy and very humid" atmosphere inside was distorting his serve—and scientists say he's got a point. "...

Thatcher Leaves Hospital After 2+ Weeks

Former British PM suffered broken shoulder after fall

(Newser) - Margaret Thatcher was released from the hospital today after undergoing surgery for a broken arm, the Telegraph reports. Although the former British PM was originally expected to return home sooner, she spent 17 days recuperating after she fell in her house in London. Thatcher, now 83, has abandoned most public...

Iran Still 'Interrogating' 4 of 9 British Embassy Staffers

Four still held as UK decries 'harassment'

(Newser) - Four of the nine staff members arrested at the British embassy in Tehran are still "being interrogated," reports the BBC, for what Iranian media described as collusion with the protests. The Iranian regime has condemned Britain throughout the crisis for meddling in the country's affairs.

Ditch 'i Before e Except After c' Rule: Brits

Ditty 'not worth teaching,' government says

(Newser) - Generations of frustrated schoolchildren have grumbled that “i before e except after c” isn’t worth learning because of numerous exceptions. Now the British government agrees, the BBC reports. In a document sent to 13,000 primary schools, officials say the ditty “is not worth teaching” because it’...

Extremist UK Party Linked to Museum Shooter

Von Brunn attended fundraisers in US for whites-only BNP

(Newser) - Alleged Holocaust Museum shooter James von Brunn has links to the British National Party, the whites-only extremist bloc that won two seats in the European Parliament in last week's vote, reports the Guardian. Von Brunn attended fundraising meetings of an American affiliate of the group, although he is not believed...

Thatcher in Hospital After Breaking Arm

Former British PM expected to be released soon

(Newser) - Margaret Thatcher, now 83, has been hospitalized after breaking her arm in a fall in her home in London, reports the UK Times. A spokeswoman for the long-serving prime minister said she would be released today and was "very lucky." Thatcher has suffered multiple strokes in recent years,...

London Cops Waterboarded Drug Suspects: Report

Officers also accused of fabricating evidence, theft

(Newser) - London police subjected accused pot dealers to waterboarding, charges a major inquiry into corruption and police brutality in the British capital. The investigation also claims that officers fabricated evidence and stole property from suspects in a drug case. Six officers are facing criminal proceedings, reports the Times of London, but...

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