United Kingdom

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Scots' Delicacy May Actually Be...English

To kilt-wearers' horror, haggis was probably invented down south

(Newser) - Alongside bagpipes, whiskey, and plaid kilts, there's naught so Scottish as haggis, the mash of sheep heart, liver, and lung disgusting to many and a delicacy to some. But recently a Scottish historian discovered the earliest ever reference to haggis—in an English cookbook. The idea that the ultimate Scottish...

Guardian May Shut Sunday Observer After 218 Years

(Newser) - The British media group that publishes the Guardian is considering closing its sister Sunday paper, the Observer, which has been in print since 1791. The Guardian Media Group reported a pre-tax annual loss of nearly $150 million. Possible futures for the Observer include an Observer-branded magazine. It's "50/50 whether...

Brit Big Brother Contestant Slashes Wrists

Incident renews debate over mental health of reality TV contestants

(Newser) - A contestant on the British edition of Big Brother slit his wrists after he was voted off the show, reports the Guardian. Sree Dasari, still being treated in the hospital, was an unpopular character; he faced mockery after flirting with another housemate who wasn't attracted to him, and when he...

Organic Food Won't Make You Any Healthier: UK Scientists

(Newser) - Organic food has no health benefits compared to ordinary food, according to a report commissioned by the UK’s Food Standards Agency. Reseachers looked at 55 studies on the subject from the past 50 years, and concluded that the differences, where they existed, weren’t particularly significant from a public-health...

Greenies Freeze Out Ben & Jerry's for Water Waste

Green-friendly company admits water-wasting practice is 'not acceptable'

(Newser) - Ben & Jerry’s locations around the world are wasting nearly 300,000 gallons of water per day, a News of the World investigation finds. The whimsical ice cream maker, famous for its green ethics and environmental activism, requires employees to wash scoops in sinks under constantly running water to...

Swine Flu: France Boots 'Disease- Ridden' British Kids

(Newser) - More than two dozen British schoolchildren on a school holiday were booted out of France after some came down with swine flu—but not before they were quarantined by medics in anti-contamination suits and insulted by locals. "It was as if we were dangerous criminals," said one of...

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. "...

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