Britain

Stories 1101 - 1120 | << Prev   Next >>

Brown to Repay $20K in Expense Scandal

PM had called for ministers to pony up

(Newser) - Gordon Brown has been sent a bill for £12,415 ($19,600) for questionable expense account claims, and the prime minister intends to pay up, 10 Downing St. announced today. The lion’s share of that money was used for housecleaning, with a bit going to gardening and decorating....

Smoker's Lungs Kill War Hero Transplant Patient

Young corporal complained about 'dud' lungs

(Newser) - A British war hero died of a cancerous tumor after receiving "dud" lungs from a heavy smoker in a transplant operation, his wife complained in an inquest. After Iraq vet Corp. Matthew Millington was diagnosed with an incurable lung disease, he was given lungs from a dead man who...

Dad Let Toddler Drown in Sea as He Macked on Mistress

'We heard a plop,' father recalls

(Newser) - A British dad let a stroller holding two of his children roll from a promenade into the sea where one of them drowned as he made out with his mistress. “I let go of the buggy and seconds into that kiss we heard a plop," married dad of...

Brit Transsexual Sues for Health Service Boob Job

Plaintiff claims refusing surgery is a violation of human rights

(Newser) - A transsexual denied breast enlargement surgery by Britain's National Health Service is suing, claiming the denial violates her human rights. The plaintiff—who has undergone hormone treatment and lived as a woman for the last decade—says the surgery is essential to her identity as a woman.

Web Game Nets Creator $1.5M
  Web Game Nets Creator $1.5M 
Oct 8, 2009 2:13 AM CDT

Web Game Nets Creator $1.5M

Players pay for extra points to commit murder, mayhem

(Newser) - An Internet crime game has earned its young creator nearly $1.5 miilion. Torn, a text-based game noir that lets players commit murder and mayhem, boasts some 41,000 active players and 1.3 million account holders worldwide. The game is free, but players can opt to pay $5 a...

Brit Court Serves Injunction Via Twitter

Order means days of spoof Twitter accounts may be numbered

(Newser) - Britain's High Court has delivered what's believed to be the first-ever injunction served via Twitter. An anonymous Twitter user who created a spoof account called "Blaney's Blarney" using the photo of lawyer and right-wing blogger Donal Blaney has been sent a message via the site telling him to stop...

UK Court Serves Injunction Over Twitter

Conservative blogger uses tweet to notify impersonator of injunction

(Newser) - In a micro-blogging first, the UK’s High Court has ruled that a court order may be served via Tweet. The case concerns an anonymous wag who has been impersonating right-wing blogger Donal Blaney on Twitter, sending out tweets under his name with “mildly objectionable” content, the BBC reports....

Treating Addicts With Heroin Gains Steam

British study finds benefits in giving addicts their fix

(Newser) - Giving heroin to heroin addicts may not sound like a great idea, but it could soon become the preferred treatment for hardcore addicts. Switzerland and a handful of other countries already have clinics that administer small, supervised doses to addicts, and Britain could be next after completing a four-year trial...

Obama Dodges Sitdown With Brown for Chat in UN Kitchen

White House declines 5 requests for talks from humiliated prime minister

(Newser) - Brit papers are buzzing about President Obama's snub of visiting Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who asked for a meeting five times. Brown—keen to boost his profile as an international statesman as his poll numbers flatline in Britain—had to settle for a 15-minute "walk and talk" with Obama...

Record Stash of Ancient Gold Found In Farmer's Field

Brit with metal detector uncovers 7th-century Anglo-Saxon jackpot

(Newser) - The biggest stash of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver ever found has been unearthed in a farmer's field in Staffordshire, England, by an amateur treasure hunter using a metal detector. The hoard, estimated to date back to the 7th century, includes weapons, helmets, and gold coins. Archaeologists are stunned both by...

Lefties Finally Get Their Undies
 Lefties Finally Get Their Undies 
Sep 23, 2009 10:07 AM CDT

Lefties Finally Get Their Undies

Thanks to one genius store in Britain, left-handed men will no longer suffer at the urinal

(Newser) - Male lefties of the world have long suffered inconvenience and embarrassment at the urinal, thanks to their underwear. One British store is making up for the indignity with a new line of undies featuring a horizontal, rather than vertical, opening—giving Britain’s lefties an alternative to boxer shorts, Reuters...

Brown Eyes Nuke Bank, Will Cut Sub Fleet

British PM seeks reductions, but rejects complete nuclear disarmament

(Newser) - Gordon Brown takes the stage at the United Nations today with an eye toward nuclear disarmament, reports the BBC, and he'll begin by offering to cut Britain's fleet of Trident nuclear submarines from four to three. While the British PM maintains full nuclear disarmament isn't an option, in an op-ed...

Swiss Politicians Battle 'Suicide Tourism'

As Britain eases rules, Switzerland fears rush of ill bent on killing themselves

(Newser) - Swiss politicians have stepped up efforts to battle "suicide tourism" as British officials prepare to announce new rules expected to make it easier for citizens to cross borders to die, reports the Independent. Some 115 Britons have died at assisted suicide operations run by Dignitas in Switzerland. Assisted suicide...

UK Petting Zoos Skittish After E. Coli Outbreak

57 hit by illness at animal farms open to kids

(Newser) - British officials are considering cracking down on petting zoos after 10 children were hospitalized with E. coli contracted from touching animals, reports the Telegraph. Parents were urged yesterday to "think very hard"  about taking young children to petting zoos. Four petting zoos have been shut following the E....

Strip Clubs, Lap Dances Part of Corporate Life in UK

Report finds widespread use of strip clubs for entertaining is 'threatening equality'

(Newser) - The sex industry has become a mainstream part of corporate culture in Britain and is damaging workplace equality, a report from a  women's group finds. Researchers found that many firms authorize the use of expense accounts for entertaining clients in lap dancing and strip clubs, and that most strip clubs...

Oil Giant Tries to Settle Biggest- Ever UK Lawsuit

Trafigura offers deal to Africans sickened by toxic sludge

(Newser) - A British multinational has offered a multimillion-dollar payout to settle a case involving toxic pollution in the Ivory Coast, the Independent reports. A contractor working for oil trading firm Trafigura dumped hundreds of tons of toxic sludge around Abidjan in 2006, sickening tens of thousands. Some were permanently disfigured, and...

Mohammed Now London's Most Popular Boys Name

Prophet's name knocks Daniel into second place in British capital

(Newser) - Mohammed has beaten out old favorites like Jack and Oliver to become the most popular name for baby boys in London, the Telegraph reports. British government figures show that the name—when variant spellings like "Muhammed" are included—is more than twice as popular in the British capital as...

UK Unemployment Soars to 14-Year High

Jobless rate expected to keep rising despite signs of economic recovery

(Newser) - The unemployment rate in Britain has climbed to 7.9% despite signs the economy is slowly beginning to pick up, the Wall Street Journal reports. The rate is now the highest since 1995, and analysts expect it to keep rising until well into next year. Unemployment remains especially high among...

Prince Harry's B-Day Gift: $10M

Princess Diana's estate can't be spent quite yet, but interest will boost his salary

(Newser) - Prince Harry’s 25th birthday today made him a millionaire, CNN reports. Princess Diana left a $35 million estate, which means about $21.6 million for Harry and William to share after inheritance taxes. Though the princes can’t spend it until they turn 30, Harry is now entitled to...

Brit Stand-Up Runs 43 Marathons in 52 Days

Eddie Izzard 'beyond exhaustion' after 1,100 mile charity challenge

(Newser) - Eddie Izzard had never run more than 5 miles in his life before this summer but he'll be aiming for the finish line in his 43rd marathon today, the Guardian reports. The stand-up comedian, 47 years old and better known for wearing high heels and make-up than for running, took...

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