Britain

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Britain Will Resist US Calls for Afghan Buildup

Army stretched too thin, top commander says

(Newser) - Britain should oppose any calls from President Obama to shift troops to Afghanistan as they are pulled out of Iraq, the country's defense chief says, arguing that UK troops need a breather. “I have said for a very long time that the British armed forces are stretched,” Sir...

Blinded Pilot Lands After Mid-Flight Stroke

Pilot recovering sight, but still in serious condition

(Newser) - An amateur pilot who suffered a stroke and went blind as he flew over North England landed his plane without a scratch, the Independent reports. Jim O’Neill, 65, was initially unable to follow instructions from civilian traffic controllers, but was guided to safety by British military planes. He remains...

Charles, Near 60, May Yet Put Green Stamp on Monarchy

Heir apparent to Queen Elizabeth has built an empire of charity

(Newser) - Prince Charles, who turns 60 on Nov. 14, has used his position as heir apparent to advocate tirelessly for the environment and the disadvantaged, writes JM Ledgard on More Intelligent Life. There’s still time for him to ascend to the British throne, where (after taking the title of George...

Festive Brits Blow Up Palin Effigy
Festive Brits Blow Up
Palin Effigy
Nov 2, 2008 8:20 AM CST

Festive Brits Blow Up Palin Effigy

400-year-old tradition 'roasts' politicians

(Newser) - It was all in good fun, insisted a group of Brits yesterday after they exploded an effigy of Sarah Palin, which was packed with firecrackers. The spectacular send-off was the climax of an annual bonfire celebration in the southern town of Battle, which traditionally blows up an effigy of someone...

BBC Yanks Comics for Prank Call

Brand famous for racy, offensive jokes

(Newser) - The BBC suspended two leading comedians for a prank call that infuriated 18,000 viewers and that even the prime minister called “inappropriate and unacceptable,” the news service reports. Foul-mouthed Russell Brand—who, stateside, offended abstinent teens at MTV's Music Video Awards—and Jonathan Ross told a 78-year-old...

AC/DC Is No. 1? Must Be a Recession

When the band's record sales go up, the economy goes down

(Newser) - Forget complicated economic indicators—the surest sign that recession looms is that AC/DC is back on top of the charts after 28 years, writes Alexis Petridis in the Guardian. It seems that whenever the Aussie rockers have a best-selling album, at least in Britain, the economy's in the tank. See...

UK Bars Foreign 'Preachers of Hate'

Measure also targets animal-rights groups, anti-abortionists

(Newser) - Britain has new rules designed to keep “preachers of hate” off the island, the Telegraph reports. The measures shift the burden of proof from authorities to the foreign-born accused, who must retract controversial statements and sometimes make pro-democracy public statements to enter or remain in the UK. While terrorists...

Brit Marathoners Stranded in Mountain Storm

Several still missing

(Newser) - Dozens of British marathoners remained unaccounted for after they were hit by torrential rains and raging winds during a race in the rugged terrain of the Lake District yesterday, reports the Telegraph. Pockets of athletes sought shelter in a barn, community center and a school, while mountain rescue workers searched...

Vikings Recast as Cultured Fashionistas

(Newser) - Vikings were just as interested in preening and handicrafts as they were in war and pillaging, the Telegraph reports. In a bid to educate youngsters who could well have Viking ancestry, British researchers are trying to change the popular view of the Norse explorers. "It seems that the Vikings...

Pound Craters After Latest Grim Stats

British currency falls to $1.56 amid recession fears

(Newser) - The British economy shrank by 0.5% last quarter, all but confirming that the UK is in its first recession since 1991, reports the Times of London. The decline is greater than expected, and this week both the prime minister and the head of the Bank of England acknowledged that...

Life With Wolves Has Couple in Own Reality-TV Pack

Living With the Wolfman aims to integrate humans and animals ... to mixed reviews

(Newser) - A British authority on wolves is taking his fiancée into the wild, and bringing cameras along, Newsweek reports. Shaun Ellis, who has spent years living with wolf packs, coaxed Helen Jeffs from her job as a schoolteacher to live on a wildlife refuge where they eat raw meat and...

UK Group Raises $80K for Atheist Bus Ads

Fundraising target far surpassed, campaign may expand nationwide

(Newser) - A campaign to plaster London buses with agnostic advertising has far exceeded its fundraising goal, the Guardian reports. The ads, aimed to counter what one writer sees as overbearing Christian messages, will say, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Organizers have raised...

London's Mayor Plugs Obama
 London's Mayor Plugs Obama 
OPINION
Oct 21, 2008 4:00 PM CDT

London's Mayor Plugs Obama

Dem can restore US as beacon of hope, Boris Johnson writes

(Newser) - After President Bush managed an “astonishing double whammy,” damaging both democracy, via Iraq, and capitalism, on Wall Street—“the two great pillars of the American idea”—London mayor Boris Johnson sees Barack Obama as the candidate who can rejuvenate “the greatest country on earth,”...

UK Tories Accused of Soliciting Russian Magnate

Party's finance leader denies discussing illegal donation

(Newser) - Britain's Conservative Party is taking heat for allegedly requesting $85,000 from a Russian billionaire and suggesting he skirt UK law by gifting the money through his British firm. The solicitation was firmly denied by the party’s finance spokesman, who confirmed he met with aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska but...

Lloyds CEO Vows Bonuses, Despite Bailout

CEO promises execs big paydays for their 'terrific job'

(Newser) - The CEO of Lloyds had promised staff that they will receive bonuses even though the British banking giant is being bailed out by the government. Employees were told that Lloyds faced "very, very few restrictions" after taking up to $9.4 billion in government money, reports the Guardian....

New Regs to Prep UK Scouts for Sex

Guidelines will encourage counselors to promote safe sex

(Newser) - Britain's Boy Scouts may soon be as prepared for healthy sex as they are for camping and woodworking, reports the Guardian. Counselors will discuss sexual health with Scouts, may even hand out condoms to prevent unprotected sex, and take their boys on visits to clinics under new guidelines to be...

Frog Pizza Storms London
 Frog Pizza Storms London 
Oct 16, 2008 9:00 PM CDT

Frog Pizza Storms London

'The Hopper' has UK animal activists croaking mad

(Newser) - London restaurant chain Eco has animal-rights activists hopping mad over its newest pizza, the Sun reports. Called “The Hopper,” the pie contains 8 frogs legs with capers and anchovies. British group Animal Aid is urging a boycott of Eco because harvesters of frogs’ legs usually cut them off...

UK: Web Phone Service Gives Criminals Edge

Authorities want to expand their online snooping powers

(Newser) - Criminals and terrorists are using VoIP services like Skype to evade law enforcement, sources tell the Times of London, and officials are lobbying for increased access. Police often rely on phone records as evidence, but online calls often leave no trace. “Communications data forms an important element of prosecution...

Not the Apple-Bobbing 'Fat Boy' Had in Mind

Pursuit of late night snack lands horse in British swimming pool

(Newser) - A horse’s hunger for apples got the better of him early yesterday when he ended up stuck in a British swimming pool, the Cornishman reports. The fittingly named “Fat Boy” and another pony broke into the garden of Sarah Penhaligon, 28, to snack on her apple trees. But...

Cell Phones Also Annoy Your Skin

'Mobile phone dermatitis' could explain mysterious facial rashes

(Newser) - Cell phones won’t melt your brain, but they do cause “mobile phone dermatitis,” Reuters reports. A British dermatological organization is cautioning doctors to consider allergy-causing nickel found on many phones in cases of “a rash on the cheek or ear that cannot otherwise be explained.”...

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