United Kingdom

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Brits Debate Eco-Wisdom of Biofuels
Brits Debate Eco-Wisdom
of Biofuels
Jan 20, 2008 11:03 AM CST

Brits Debate Eco-Wisdom of Biofuels

Oil substitute may destroy rainforests, increase food prices

(Newser) - Biofuels may actually exacerbate the environmental problems they were meant to allay, reports the Observer, and a UK Parliamentary committee has released a report examining the possible effects. Using fuel made from crops like tallow and rapeseed may actually worsen greenhouse gas emissions, kill rainforests, and drive up food prices...

UK Defies Russia in Latest Diplomatic Row

Moscow irate as Brits reopen cultural offices in Russia

(Newser) - Moscow's tit-for-tat diplomatic row with the UK continues to escalate as British officials defied Russian orders to close two cultural offices, the BBC reports. Russia called the reopening of British Council offices in St. Petersburg and the Urals city of Yekaterinburg an "intentional provocation aimed at inflaming tensions,"...

UK Pushes 'Opt-Out' Organ Donor Plan

Patient groups say 'presumed consent' is no consent at all

(Newser) - UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is backing an initiative to let hospitals harvest organs from dead patients without their consent, the Telegraph reports. The plan, which could take effect this year, presumes consent unless patients opt out or family members object. The goal is to help the 1,000 Britons...

Russian Art Approved for UK Display
Russian Art Approved for UK Display
Jan 10, 2008 1:40 PM CST

Russian Art Approved for UK Display

Moscow allows paintings to travel after diplomatic spat, fears of seizure

(Newser) - The Royal Academy in London will scramble to open a major exhibition of Russian-owned art after Russian officials finally granted permission to send the works to the UK, the Times of London reports. The show faced cancellation over Russian concerns that the works would be subject to seizure, a dispute...

Apple to Charge Fewer Pence per Song

Price of iTunes tracks will correspond between UK and EU

(Newser) - Apple has vowed to ease up on British purses, cutting the price for iTunes downloads so UK fees will match those in the rest of Europe. EU regulators have been probing Apple since a consumer group complained about its policies in 2004; the new settlement comes after direct talks between...

Britain, Spain Soften Over Rock
Britain, Spain Soften Over Rock
Jan 9, 2008 11:12 AM CST

Britain, Spain Soften Over Rock

Settling of dispute over Gibraltar means EU can sign long-delayed treaties

(Newser) - Britain and Spain have worked out a compromise on Gibraltar that will pave the way for the EU to sign some important treaties, Reuters reports. Treaties on child protection and aviation had been held up for years because Spain balked at plans to let officials in the British enclave administer...

UK Air Travelers Allowed 2 Bags (Some Airports)

Baggage rules relaxed at Heathrow, not Gatwick, others

(Newser) - Confusion may be the rule for air travelers in the UK, where some—but not all—airports have been allowed to drop a one-cabin-bag-per-passenger limit. Passengers at Heathrow and 21 other airports will be permitted to carry two bags for the first time since the tightening of airport security in...

UK Bishop Blasts Muslim 'No-Go' Zones

Blames extremists, immigration laws for anti-Christian areas

(Newser) - A high-ranking UK bishop has sparked a row by criticizing immigration laws and claiming that Islamic extremists threaten Christians in "no-go" areas across Britain. Rev. Michael Nazir-Ali, the Church of England's only Asian bishop, wrote a Telegraph editorial that blames the "novel philosophy of multiculturalism" for threatening Britain's...

UK Plans Cheap Web Access for All Students

Broadband to become compulsory under new schools program

(Newser) - The Brown government is collaborating with Britain's top IT companies to provide Internet access to every child in the country. A major education review recently urged closing the widening achievement gap between rich and poor families. In effect, a broadband Internet connection is becoming compulsory, the Guardian reports.

UK To Introduce Sweeping Bank Reforms

Darling announces regulatory shift after Northern Rock fiasco

(Newser) - Britain's chancellor will offer sweeping new powers to that country's equivalent of the SEC to intervene in the event of a banking crisis. In an interview with the Financial Times, Alistair Darling presented a set of triggers that would allow the Financial Services Authority to step in and protect assets...

Families Blast N. Ireland Bomb Acquittal

Demand inquiry after lone suspect cleared on 56 counts

(Newser) - Furious families of victims have slammed provincial police and called for an inquiry a day after the acquittal of a man charged with the worst terror attack in Northern Ireland history. Sean Hoey was cleared of 56 counts of murder and terrorist charges stemming from the 1998 Omagh bombing. The...

UK Slaps Chatty Drivers With Jail
UK Slaps Chatty Drivers With Jail
Dec 20, 2007 12:06 PM CST

UK Slaps Chatty Drivers With Jail

Texting, tinkering with gadgets could net 2 years in the pokey

(Newser) - Yakking on the phone while behind the wheel could fetch you a little quality time behind bars in the UK, reports the Daily Telegraph. A new law rewards chatty driving—or texting, or tinkering with a GPS unit or MP3 player— with jail terms of up to two years. The...

UK Probe Finds 6K Illegals in Security Jobs

Home Office takes heat over 11K total given clearance

(Newser) - UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith came under fire today after an investigation revealed that as many as 11,000 illegal immigrants are employed in or have been cleared for security jobs, including one man who guarded the PM's car. Of those workers, 6,653 were found to have no permission...

Northern Rock Boss Quits as Fall Continues

$570M writedown posted; sale of troubled bank months away

(Newser) - The CEO of collapsing British bank Northern Rock quit this morning without comment, reports the Financial Times. Adam Applegarth resigned last month but had pledged to stay on as CEO until the end of January to guide the struggling company through its upcoming sale. But investors are troubled by the...

British Library Acquires Harold Pinter Archive

$2.2M keeps Nobel laureate's papers in the country

(Newser) - The British Library has bought the papers of Harold Pinter, the Nobel Prize-winning playwright, paying more than $2.2 million for 150 boxes of material, writes the Times of London. After the purchase of several British authors' archives by American universities, Pinter committed himself to finding a home in his...

Outbreak Hits World's Most Remote Island

Viral asthma affecting 275-person UK territory in South Atlantic

(Newser) - A severe viral asthma is wreaking havoc on Tristan da Cunha, a volcanic island 1,700 miles off the coast of South Africa described as the world's most remote community, the BBC reports. Many of the island's 275 residents are having trouble breathing; medical supplies are dwindling in the South...

New Trend May Have Fans Shout, 'I Want My ITV!'

'Interactive video' changing way users view music videos online, experts say

(Newser) - MTV just may become a thing of the past, thanks to a new wave sweeping the Net called “interactive video.” Encouraged by the popularity of music videos online, but frustrated by poor web quality, producers are allowing users to create their own video-viewing experience. Indie favorite Arcade Fire...

Are Brits Less Stout of Heart?
Are Brits
Less Stout
of Heart?
Nov 23, 2007 3:15 PM CST

Are Brits Less Stout of Heart?

UK sales of Guinness slip as pub-goers seek more 'refreshing' pints

(Newser) - The champion of breakfast beers the world over, Guinness is facing stiff competition from more refreshing lagers targeting the after-work crowd. Sales in in Britain were off 13% in each of the last 2 years, the BBC reports, and in Ireland, where the black stout has been the best-selling beer...

UK Accused of Cover-Up in Data Loss
UK Accused of Cover-Up in Data Loss
Nov 23, 2007 12:27 PM CST

UK Accused of Cover-Up in Data Loss

Higher-ups okayed sending files with personal info on 25M

(Newser) - Alistair Darling's disastrous week continued today as the British chancellor of the exchequer faced accusations of a cover-up in the lost-data fiasco, the Telegraph reports. Contrary to Darling's claim that the loss of 25 million people's data was an error by a junior administrator, newly released e-mails indicate senior tax...

Europeans Go for Coke
Europeans Go for Coke
Nov 22, 2007 4:46 PM CST

Europeans Go for Coke

2007 EU report says coke use up by one million

(Newser) - Cocaine is "Europe's stimulant of choice," according to a new study that says nearly five million Europeans used coke this year—a million more than last. The Spanish and British used it most, BBC reports, but Danes and Italians increased their usage most in 2007. Two million Europeans...

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