United Kingdom

Stories 1221 - 1240 | << Prev   Next >>

British, French Nuclear Subs Collide

Investigators probing possible nuclear contamination

(Newser) - A probe into possible nuclear contamination has been launched after British and French  submarines carrying nuke warheads collided in rough seas in the Atlantic, reports the Telegraph. Both subs were seriously damaged in the collision earlier this month that occurred despite state-of-the-art technology on both vessels dedicated to protect against...

1 of 4 UK Liver Transplants Go to Alcoholics

Situation sparks fury among families of victims who died waiting for transplant

(Newser) - Nearly one quarter of those receiving liver transplants in the UK are heavy drinkers, prompting a fiery debate over the allocation of organs to alcoholics, the Guardian reports. In the past decade, as waiting lists have lengthened, transplants for heavy drinkers have spiked 60%—a trend the mother of one...

Hard-Right Dutch Pol Barred From UK
Hard-Right Dutch Pol Barred From UK
Feb 13, 2009 5:11 AM CST

Hard-Right Dutch Pol Barred From UK

He's turned back at Heathrow on trip to show anti-Koran film

(Newser) - Ultra-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, whose short film attacking the Koran caused an uproar last year, was refused entry to Britain yesterday, reports the Guardian. The member of Parliament was flying to London to show his controversial film when the home secretary sent him a letter saying his presence in...

Downturn 'Worst for 100 Years': UK Minister

Brown ally says current crisis surpasses Great Depression

(Newser) - The current economic crisis will be the worst in a century, surpassing even the Great Depression, according to Gordon Brown's closest political ally. Ed Balls, a minister sometimes tipped as a future British leader, said that the downturn would be "more extreme and more serious than that of the...

UK Forking Over $60M to Bail Out Charities

Nonprofits fear reduced services for homeless, unemployed, families

(Newser) - The British government will bail out the nation's charities with a $60 million lifeline, as experts warned that one in three nonprofits may have to lay off staff, reports the Guardian. While the charities welcomed the bailout, it is far less than the $150 million they requested to maintain vital...

Baby Killed by Grandma's Dogs
Baby Killed by
Grandma's Dogs
Feb 8, 2009 4:00 AM CST

Baby Killed by Grandma's Dogs

Infant's death renews calls for tougher laws

(Newser) - A sleeping infant was killed by his grandmother’s two dogs yesterday, the Times of London reports. “The grandmother was screaming, ‘The baby is dead!’” said one neighbor, who witnessed a "severe injury" to the baby's neck. Another speculated the dogs were jealous of the...

Get a Tan Via Computer? 30K Believed It

Website vowed to deliver tanning rays through computer screen

(Newser) - Tired of dawdling in front of a computer screen all day while your skin retains that dried-out winter look? Well now you can get a tan right from your computer screen—or so thousands of Britons thought. A UK charity developed the ComputerTan website hoax to raise awareness about skin...

Queen Sorry for Golliwog Dolls in Gift Shop

Uproar over blackface character prompts rare royal apology

(Newser) - Queen Elizabeth issued a rare apology after the revelation that a shop at one of her estates was selling "golliwogs"—a kind of blackface minstrel doll. The dolls, made in China, have frizzy black hair and beady eyes, and are prominently displayed at the gift shop at Sandringham,...

Record Blizzard Cripples Britain
Record Blizzard
Cripples
Britain
Feb 2, 2009 1:59 AM CST

Record Blizzard Cripples Britain

Chaos on highways, at airports amid White Nightmare

(Newser) - One of the heaviest snowstorms in 20 years has covered much of England with a thick blanket of white, wreaking havoc with transportation. London is at a virtual standstill with all city buses withdrawn from service because of driving conditions, schools shut down and several flights canceled at  Heathrow and...

Pakistan Arrests Suspect in '05 London Attacks

Al-Qaeda commander nabbed after tip from US intelligence

(Newser) - Pakistani police have arrested an al-Qaeda suspect believed to have links to the 2005 London transit bombings, acting on a tip from the US. Zabi ul Taifi, a Saudi national, was among seven al-Qaeda suspects caught in a raid near Peshawar, reports the AP. An unmanned spy plane and three...

Stocks Fall as Bank Woes Trump Obama Hope
 Stocks Fall as Bank Woes 
 Trump Obama Hope 
MARKET Open
Jan 20, 2009 9:03 AM CST

Stocks Fall as Bank Woes Trump Obama Hope

Royal Bank of Scotland's troubles ripple across Atlantic

(Newser) - Any excitement on Wall Street about Barack Obama’s inauguration was drowned out this morning by worries over Europe’s banking sector, the Journal reports. The Dow dropped more than 110 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P dropped 2% and 2.2% respectively. Those tumbles track drops in Europe...

Nationalization Looms for Royal Bank of Scotland

Lack of faith in government's bank bailout plans sparks investor stampede

(Newser) - One of Britain's biggest banks is on the verge of nationalization, reports the Daily Telegraph. The Royal Bank of Scotland's shares plummeted more than 65% yesterday after it revealed massive losses of $56 billion for 2008—the highest in British history. The government has upped its stake in the bank...

EU Expects Deep, Lengthy Recession

Government spending will be only thing keeping European economies afloat

(Newser) - The European Union said today it is facing a "deep and protracted recession" with government spending the only source of growth. The 16 nations that use the euro will shrink 1.9% in 2009, with the entire EU contracting 1.8%, the European Commission forecasts. The EU will lose...

London City Hall Will Fly US Flag Tomorrow

Mayor tips hat to Obama inauguration with Old Glory

(Newser) - Tomorrow morning, while Washington sleeps, the mayor of London will celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama by hoisting the American flag at city hall. Boris Johnson, a Conservative born in New York who publicly supported Obama during the campaign, will raise the flag himself, reports the Guardian. A rep...

Atheist Bus Ads Draw Fire from UK Christians

Complaints say campaign breaks requirements of 'truthfulness and substantiation'

(Newser) - A series of pro-atheism ads on London buses have prompted nearly 150 complaints to Britain’s advertising regulator, the Guardian reports. The complaints largely claim that the ads, which declare, “There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life,” are offensive to monotheists and break...

Baby Born in UK Screened To Be Cancer-Free

Scientists implanted in womb only cells without genes that could lead to disease

(Newser) - The UK’s first “cancer-free” baby was born yesterday, but not without a shower of criticism for the parents and doctors, the BBC reports. Doctors screened the embryo for the altered BRCA1 gene, whose carriers have an 80% chance of developing breast cancer. “The parents will have been...

UK Slashes Interest Rates to All-Time Low of 1.5%

50-point cut less than business groups had hoped for

(Newser) - The venerable Bank of England cut interest rates today by 50 basis points, trimming them to 1.5%—their lowest since the bank's founding in the 17th century. Investors had expected the move, although business organizations had pressed for a 100-point cut. Yesterday, Britain's finance minister admitted that the recession...

Britons Eat Gray Squirrels to Save Beloved Reds

Curiosity, drive to save indigenous species creates thriving market for critter's meat

(Newser) - Squirrel is quickly becoming a part of the British palate, as curiosity—and devotion to a native icon—drives Britons to try something new, the New York Times reports. The trend can be traced in part to the surging population of gray squirrels, a North American import. The grays have...

Rich Foreigners Jump List for Brit Organs

Doctors outraged as a record 8,000 Britons await transplants

(Newser) - Despite dire organ shortages for ailing British patients, the livers of 50 UK donors were sold to foreigners for nearly $110,000 each, the Times of London reports. Forty patients from Greece and Cyprus—as well as others from non-EU nations including Libya, the UAE, China, and Israel—received liver...

US Phrases That Annoy Brits
 US Phrases That Annoy Brits 
OPINION
Dec 27, 2008 6:50 PM CST

US Phrases That Annoy Brits

"Happy Holidays", and "Have a nice day," irksome Americanisms

(Newser) - Toby Harnden must live among Yanks in his job as a correspondent for the UK's Telegraph, and sometimes American phrases drive him nuts. Here are his worst offenders:
  • Happy holidays (just say Christmas, please)
  • Have a nice day (make it stop)
  • You're welcome (this one's just "Pavlovian" to him)
...

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