Britain

Stories 641 - 660 | << Prev   Next >>

Taliban: We're Still After Malala

Teen education advocate invited to Buckingham Palace

(Newser) - It's been a year since Malala Yousufzai was shot by Pakistani Taliban —and new threats aren't stopping the 16-year-old in her fight for girls' education. Traveling to her native Swat Valley, the BBC offers a new window into Malala's background and life story. The region launched...

'Missing Piece' Emerges in Stonehenge Mystery

Landmark's location tied to solstices, not sun-worship

(Newser) - New digging at Stonehenge sheds some light on the ancient site's mysterious ties with the summer and winter solstices. Contrary to what some have speculated, the landmark wasn't built for some sort of sun-worshipping ritual, says a researcher, nor was it "some kind of calendar or astronomical...

300K Porn Site Visits Made From UK Parliament

And 52K hits on adultery matchmaking service

(Newser) - Perhaps the UK's new Internet porn block is actually an act of self-restriction? People working in Parliament tried to access porn sites some 300,000 times in the past year alone, the Huffington Post has uncovered via an FOI request. It's not clear, however, which of the 5,...

EU Looks to Make Drivers Stop Speeding

Britain opposes 'Big Brother' proposal

(Newser) - The European Union is pushing a high-tech plan to prevent speeding: Cars could be equipped with devices to reduce their speed when it breaks the limit, the Daily Mail reports. Some 30,000 people in the EU die in road accidents each year; officials are hoping to slash that figure...

Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case
Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case 
UPDATED
Aug 30, 2013 7:58 AM CDT

Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case

When strike would occur remains unclear

(Newser) - The specifics of President Obama's plans for Syria don't seem much clearer after a conference call with Congressional leaders. The call didn't include information on when a strike would occur, Politico notes, nor did it appear to sway lawmakers who had doubts about military action. During the...

Crafty Brit Cons Telemarketers Into Paying to Call Him

Man sets up pay line, makes hundreds off callers

(Newser) - Lee Beaumont was sick of telemarketers calling him, so he came up with a brilliant solution: He made them pay him for the privilege. The Leeds man signed up for an 0871-number (the British equivalent of a 900-number), and began giving that out to banks, utility companies, and other commercial...

Specter of Iraq 'Evidence' Hangs Over Obama in Syria

US, Britain face uphill battles ahead of military action

(Newser) - President Obama has concluded that Syria used chemical weapons, but his next step remains a major challenge. As his administration considers military action, it's well aware that a public intelligence presentation—which could occur today—would be the most important of its kind since the run-up to the Iraq...

How Spoons Tucked Into Underwear Fight Forced Marriage

 How Spoons in 
 Underwear Fight 
 Forced Marriage 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Aug 18, 2013 7:30 PM CDT

How Spoons in Underwear Fight Forced Marriage

They serve as airport warning

(Newser) - A charity in Britain has devised a clever last line of defense against forced marriage, and it involves an unusual trick: packing a spoon in your underwear. The Karma Nirvana charity suggests the move to victims being taken out of the UK via plane: The spoon will set off the...

Teen Kills Himself Over 'Skype Blackmail': Mom

Perpetrators allegedly threatened to reveal chats to his family

(Newser) - Police are looking into the death of a Scottish teenager who appears to have killed himself after being blackmailed online, the Guardian reports. Daniel Perry, 17, chatted with someone on Skype who he thought was an American girl. His mother said police have learned that blackmailers threatened to show his...

Man&#39;s Diary Weighs Half a Ton
 Man's Diary Weighs Half a Ton 
Aug 9, 2013 9:32 AM CDT

Man's Diary Weighs Half a Ton

John Gadd's daily journal fills 21K pages in 151 volumes

(Newser) - If you've ever perused War and Peace, you know it's as long a war itself. But it's a short story compared with John Gadd's diary—a life collection eight times as long as Tolstoy's novel. It spans 66 years, 21,000 pages, and weighs half...

Kate in Labor, Royal Baby Coming

Expect a little prince or princess shortly

(Newser) - Kate Middleton is in labor in London's St. Mary's Hospital, the royal family says. She's in the "early stages," the BBC reports, in what CNN notes is the hospital where William and Harry were born. Details are few, and there won't likely be more...

UK Deports Radical Cleric to Jordan After Decade Fight

Abu Qatada will finally face trial in Jordan

(Newser) - A radical Muslim preacher suspected of being a key al-Qaeda operative in Europe arrived in Jordan today to face retrial on terrorism charges after his deportation from Britain, ending a decade-long legal battle over his fate. The return of 53-year-old Abu Qatada was viewed as a victory in Jordan, whose...

Royal Baby's Cash Value: $376M

New heir to bring in more cash than his dad did

(Newser) - You can't put a price on the birth of a child—unless you're the British economy, and the child is an heir to the throne. The royal baby, due in July, will bring some $376 million into Britain's retail coffers, according to a Center for Retail Research...

Murdoch Tape: Bribe Scandal 'Next to Nothing'

Recording reveals meeting with journalists

(Newser) - A newly released tape reportedly reveals a conversation between Rupert Murdoch and Sun journalists—and its contents are looking damaging for the News Corp. boss. Apparently speaking to staff arrested on bribery claims , Murdoch calls the investigation into his media empire "the biggest inquiry ever, over next to nothing,...

Brits May Create Babies With DNA From 3 People

Proposed move would help parents avoid passing on diseases

(Newser) - Can a baby have three biological parents? Maybe. Britain may allow a controversial technique to create babies using DNA from a mother, father, and a donor. The idea behind it is to help couples from passing on rare genetic diseases. For a woman with faulty mitochondria, scientists take only the...

Queen's Jubilee Year Cost UK Taxpayers $50.7M

That's an extra $1.4M more than the year prior

(Newser) - We're hoping that Britons enjoyed Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee year—because it ran taxpayers about $1.4 million more than the year before. The long-reigning monarch's official bottom line expenses came in at $50.7 million, according to royal finances. Where did the additional money go? Mainly...

Horrors: Belgian Royals Must Now Pay Taxes

Their allowances also are cut, except for the reigning king

(Newser) - Belgium is taking after the monarchies of Britain and the Netherlands and trimming the royal purse strings. Reigning King Albert II is exempt, but other royals are going to pay income taxes for the first time and get smaller allowances, reports Reuters . For instance, in the case of Queen Fabiola—...

Dementia Patient Ends Life at Assisted-Suicide Clinic

83-year-old is first Brit to do so at Switzerland's Dignitas

(Newser) - An 83-year-old man in the early stages of dementia has become the first person in Britain so diagnosed to end his life at an assisted-suicide clinic, reports the BBC . The unidentified man did so with the support of his family—in fact, his wife made the trip with him to...

Britain Reveals Its Version of Guantanamo

As many as 90 Afghans being held without trial at Camp Bastion

(Newser) - Britain is taking a page out of the US' book, quietly running a prison in Afghanistan where 80 to 90 people have been held without charges for as long as 14 months. Defense Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed the prison's existence at Camp Bastion to the BBC today, after lawyers...

Bizarre Recall: Radioactive Belts

US border agents apparently made the odd discovery

(Newser) - A major British online clothing merchant has recalled one of its belts due to a small problem: The items are radioactive. Made of leather studded with metal, the belts tested positive for Cobalt-60 and could be dangerous if people wear them for more than 500 hours, Asos said in an...

Stories 641 - 660 | << Prev   Next >>