Britain

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Skeletons Reveal Black Death Secrets

Victims led hard lives before dying, scientists say

(Newser) - Skeletons dug up in London last year are indeed the remains of people who died from the Black Plague—and who suffered a tough life before falling ill, the BBC reports. Forensic analysis shows that teeth taken from at least four of the 12 corpses discovered during excavation for a...

Report: Aborted Babies Used to Heat UK Hospitals

British TV show reveals practice in two major hospitals

(Newser) - British hospitals have incinerated more than 15,500 aborted and miscarried fetal remains over the years, at times to generate power for heat in "waste-to-energy" plants, the Telegraph reports. A UK television show revealed the practice tonight, but health officials beat them to the punch by banning the practice...

Charred Remains May Rewrite Ancient History

Bronze Age find includes fur, possibly from extinct bear

(Newser) - A rare 4,000-year-old find may rewrite Bronze Age history and prove that ancient peoples were hipper than we thought, the Guardian reports. Archaeologists have dug up a box on a British moor that includes a small person's charred remains and many burial items—including 34 tin studs and...

Photo Leads to Lost Piece of WWI History

Mock battlefield in Britain found thanks to a photograph

(Newser) - Archaeologists have uncovered a piece of WWI history some 80 miles south of London, all thanks to a 1951 photograph. A British conservation officer poring over an aerial photo spotted something suspicious near the edge of one: crenellated lines (picture the notched top of a castle). Rob Harper's investigation...

Guy Behind UK's Porn Rules Busted—Over Child Porn

Cameron aide Patrick Rock resigns after arrest

(Newser) - A top aide to David Cameron who helped craft new online pornography rules has been arrested in a child pornography case. Patrick Rock resigned from his post following his arrest last month, the Telegraph reports. Ten Downing Street says it contacted police, who investigated computers there before arresting the aide....

Secret Dossier Handed Over in Madeleine McCann Case

Details burglaries, child abuse in area where she went missing

(Newser) - The long-running investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann appears to be heating up again. In October, Portuguese police officially reopened their investigation into the British 3-year-old's 2007 disappearance. Now, they've handed over to British police secret files covering burglaries near the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz,...

Wrong Number Saves Man's Life

Woman heard struggle, called police

(Newser) - With a blood clot threatening his life, a British man reached for the phone and dialed the wrong number—but as wrong numbers go, this was the right one. Hearing heavy breathing and moaning, the woman who picked up initially believed she was the victim of a prank call. But...

Millionaire to Ex-Wife: Stay as My Housekeeper

Mysteriously, she 'became aggressive,' court hears

(Newser) - A wealthy British man asked his ex-wife to stay on as his housekeeper after he moved another woman into the home they shared—and couldn't understand why the offer made his partner of 30 years "so aggressive," a court heard this week. The man, now in his...

UK to Queen: Get a 'Grip' on Your Budget

She's down to $1.7M, officials say

(Newser) - It's time for Queen Elizabeth to "get a much firmer grip" on her dwindling supply of cash, members of Britain's Parliament say: The royal cash reserve is down to 1 million pounds, or about $1.7 million, according to their report. That's a "historic low,...

Meet the Purple Tomato
 Meet the Purple Tomato 
Jan 27, 2014 11:13 AM CST

Meet the Purple Tomato

It's got blueberry-like health benefits: researchers

(Newser) - Finally: the health benefits of a blueberry in the shape of a tomato. That's how researchers are billing a genetically-modified purple tomato that may soon be available to shoppers. "With these purple tomatoes you can get the same compounds that are present in blueberries and cranberries that give...

Wanted at Buckingham Palace: Royal Bath-Runner

Housekeeping assistant will serve tea, assist guests

(Newser) - Help is wanted at Buckingham Palace, and keeping quiet is among the job requirements. The palace is looking for a housekeeping assistant, it says in a job ad —someone who will be in charge of "high-quality cleaning" and maintenance of bedrooms and bathrooms. The job holder will also...

Babylonian Tablet 'Confirms' Noah's Ark, With a Twist

The boat was round, says expert at the British Museum

(Newser) - Anyone seeking alternate versions of the Noah's Ark tale need look no further than Babylonian cuneiform tablets. One, discovered in 1872, pre-dated the Bible and told its own Ark story. Now a tablet has arrived at the British Museum that actually describes how to build the ark, according to...

Pol: Gay Marriage Will Bring 'Biblical Disasters' to UK

David Silvester suspended for writing anti-gay letter

(Newser) - A British far-right party has suspended a local councilman who blamed recent severe flooding on the government's legalization of gay marriage. David Silvester of the United Kingdom Independence Party had written a letter to the Henley Standard claiming he'd warned Prime Minister David Cameron the legislation would result...

Search Begins for Battlefield Lost for Centuries

Battle of Brunanburh helped define English, Scottish identities

(Newser) - Scotland is poised to vote on independence this year—and before it does, researchers are hoping they'll be able to track down the site of a battle at the root of the English-Scottish divide. There are more than 40 sites across Britain where experts have suggested the vicious Battle...

Monopoly: The Game That Helped WWII POWs Escape

Eccentric British officer Clayton Hutton made it happen

(Newser) - Monopoly was more than a game for many World War II POWs, who used tools hidden in the boxed sets to help them escape. The story's been told before, but Christian Donland at Eurogamer looks deeply into the life of a high-strung, eccentric British intelligence officer named Clayton Hutton,...

UK Accused of War Crimes in Iraq

250-page report cites sex assaults, beatings, electrocution

(Newser) - UK lawyers and European human rights activists are calling on the International Criminal Court to prosecute British leaders over war crimes allegedly committed in Iraq. Public Interest Lawyers and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights have compiled a 250-page report, submitted to the ICC Saturday, on "systematic...

Woman Sues Lawyers for Letting Her Divorce Hubby

Solicitors should have respected her Catholic faith, she says

(Newser) - A divorce means the end of marriage, right? Well, a British woman was apparently shocked to hear about this, the Independent reports. Jane Mulcahy even filed suit against her former lawyers for failing to explain the whole divorce thing. Mulcahy said they should have respected her Catholic faith and advised...

England Will Register All Breast Implants

Officials look to fix 'cowboy industry'

(Newser) - Following a scandal over potentially dangerous breast implants last year, England is cracking down on what officials call a "cowboy industry." The country plans to begin registering every breast augmentation that occurs; Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are considering following suit, the BBC reports. "The PIP implant...

10 Wacky, Cool Ways the World Celebrates Christmas

From a straw goat in Sweden to hiding brooms in Norway

(Newser) - Your Christmas may include fruitcake, gifts, and a tree strung with lights, but the holiday season is celebrated a little differently in other parts of the world. In an article picked up from AccuWeather.com, LiveScience rounds up 10 wacky Christmas traditions you may want to adopt—and some you...

UK Convicts 2 in Soldier's Gruesome Murder

'Soldiers of Allah' found guilty in attack on Lee Rigby

(Newser) - A jury today convicted two British men who considered themselves "soldiers of Allah" of murdering serviceman Lee Rigby , who was run down with a car, stabbed to death, and nearly decapitated in a frenzied attack on a London street. The jury of eight women and four men deliberated for...

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