Britain – News Stories About Britain - Page 78

Apr 4, 2008 10:33 AM CDT

Prince Philip Hospitalized

Queen's husband is being 'assessed and treated' for chest infection

(Newser) - Prince Philip has been hospitalized with a chest infection, Buckingham Palace announced today. Queen Elizabeth’s husband, 86, walked into the hospital unaided and was able to sit up in bed and write, the Times of London reports. Using his formal title, a palace spokeswoman said: "The Duke of...

Gas-Guzzlers Will Cost Londoners $50 a Day

Apr 3, 2008 11:39 AM CDT

Gas-Guzzlers Will Cost Londoners $50 a Day

Mayor's move sparks outrage, applause

(Newser) - In a move to make drivers of gas-guzzlers “pay for the environmental damage they cause,” London’s mayor is imposing a CO2 charge: beginning in October, every private vehicle driven in the central city that doesn’t meet tough emissions standards will cost its owners $50 a day,...

False News of Blood Samples Delays Diana Inquest

Apr 1, 2008 7:30 PM CDT

False News of Blood Samples Delays Diana Inquest

Coroner cautions jurors on ex-butler's testimony

(Newser) - The Princess Diana inquest came to a brief halt today after the possibility of new evidence arose, the Daily Mail reports. Just as the inquest was winding down, the coroner received an email saying a new blood sample from Diana's driver had turned up in Paris. The evidence would have...

Spacey Slams BBC's 'Unfair' Talent Searches

Mar 31, 2008 1:58 PM CDT

Spacey Slams BBC's 'Unfair' Talent Searches

Actor slams Webber's Idol clones as ads for musicals

(Newser) - Kevin Spacey has criticized the BBC’s West End reality shows as overt promotions for the musicals they're casting for, the Guardian reports. Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular talent-search series, Any Dream Will Do and I’d Do Anything, sought out new stars for big-budget productions of Joseph and the Amazing ...

Glitzy Heathrow Terminal
a Destination Unto Itself

TRAVEL

Mar 30, 2008 10:46 AM CDT

Glitzy Heathrow Terminal a Destination Unto Itself

Tiffany's, 42 restaurants, and a booze-friendly cinema

(Newser) - Heathrow’s new terminal has hit such turbulence with its opening that it may seem an odd time to sing its praises. But once the delays and lost luggage are solved, this massive addition, designed to eradicate the “Heathrow hassle,” will lure fliers with plenty of perks, reports...

Naked Chef Wants UK Cooking Like It's 1939

Mar 29, 2008 12:05 PM CDT

Naked Chef Wants UK Cooking Like It's 1939

Inspired by war food rations, Oliver launches effort against takeout

(Newser) - Inspired by WWII food rationing, a British celebrity chef has declared war on the UK’s poor eating habits. Jamie Oliver is encouraging families in one South Yorkshire town to shun takeout and ready-made meals in favor of home-grown food and other healthier alternatives. “People are really busy, they’...

Heathrow Mess Will Ripple Well Into Weekend

Mar 28, 2008 3:33 PM CDT

Heathrow Mess Will Ripple Well Into Weekend

Reeling new Terminal 5 far short of capacity, but full of irate travelers

(Newser) - Logistical disasters continued today at Heathrow airport's new Terminal 5—and flight cancellations, delays and luggage losses will likely continue all weekend, the Times of London reports. British Airways, the facility's sole airline, said it hoped to run 80% of planned flights today, the terminal's second. "I am a...

UK Moves Closer to
In-Flight Cell Phones

Mar 26, 2008 5:58 PM CDT

UK Moves Closer to In-Flight Cell Phones

Service awaits nod from EU aviation safety boards

(Newser) - British air travelers may soon be able to use their cell phones while in flight, Reuters reports. UK telecom regulator Ofcom approved airline proposals to offer mobile service, pending assent by the European aviation safety authorities. Passengers would be able to make calls once the aircraft was in the air...

UK Pig Farmers Squeal Poverty

Mar 26, 2008 10:39 AM CDT

UK Pig Farmers Squeal Poverty

As high feed costs drive losses, protests seek higher pork prices

(Newser) - Floundering British pig farmers are on the march behind a curious protest song: "Stand by Your Ham." With feed prices soaring, UK farmers say they're losing $50 on every pig they sell, so they’re begging anyone who’ll listen to support higher pork prices, reports the Wall ...

Fans Pray It's
No Careless Whisper

Mar 24, 2008 9:46 PM CDT

Fans Pray It's No Careless Whisper

George Michael announces first US tour in 17 years

(Newser) - UK pop icon George Michael will embark on his first US tour in 17 years this summer, NME reports. Scheduled to coincide with his upcoming "Twenty Five" album, the 20-show trip will kick off in California in June and include visits to Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Madison Square Garden...

Cellphones
Sound Last Call for British Icon

Mar 24, 2008 12:18 PM CDT

Cellphones Sound Last Call for British Icon

Famous red booths disappear from English streets

(Newser) - Britain’s iconic red phone booths are going extinct in a country where cellphones outnumber people, USA Today reports. British Telecom is shrinking the overall number of pay phones and replacing the red booths with modern ones that double as wireless hotspots. With just 12,700 of the originals left...

Brits Ready the Red Carpet for Sarko Visit

Mar 23, 2008 9:40 AM CDT

Brits Ready the Red Carpet for Sarko Visit

Flashy French prez will meet queen, work on often-turbulent UK ties

(Newser) - Carla Bruni isn’t the only tempestuous romance in Nicolas Sarkozy's life—the “turbulent love affair” of Anglo-French relations comes to the fore Wednesday as the flamboyant French prez prepares to meet with Queen Elizabeth. But Sarkozy is a vocal fan of Britain’s hardy economy, and with increasing...

UK, France in Nuke Power Pact

Mar 22, 2008 12:18 PM CDT

UK, France in Nuke Power Pact

Major deal also includes anti-illegal immigration measures

(Newser) - Britain and France are set to sign a deal this week to collaborate on a new generation of power plants, as well as a joint venture to export the technology around the world, the Guardian reports. The nuclear pact will part of a London summit next week between Nicolas Sarkozy...

First Film Was Minghella's Finest Work

OPINION

Mar 21, 2008 12:45 PM CDT

First Film Was Minghella's Finest Work

Truly, Madly, Deeply can help fans grieve director's early passing

(Newser) - He might be known for his sweep of the 1996 Academy Awards with The English Patient, but director Anthony Minghella should be remembered for his first film, Dana Stevens writes in Slate. Truly, Madly, Deeply, a 1990 made-for-TV movie that's now something of a cult classic, is a "psychologically...

Rogue Traders Bag $200M in Credit Hysteria

Mar 20, 2008 7:46 AM CDT

Rogue Traders Bag $200M in Credit Hysteria

False emails drive down stock of UK mortgage lender

(Newser) - The UK's financial regulator is probing whether malicious traders attacked the share price of the country's largest mortgage lender yesterday by spreading rumors it faced a major liquidity crisis. The Telegraph reports that HBOS saw its shares plunge 20% as an email circulated suggesting the firm was facing trouble. The...

Brit Furor Over Asylum for
Gay Iranian

Mar 15, 2008 10:45 AM CDT

Brit Furor Over Asylum for Gay Iranian

Teen says boyfriend was killed; calls gay treatment 'genocide'

(Newser) - A gay teenager who fears the death penalty at home in Iran, after his boyfriend was hanged for sodomy, is fighting for the right to stay in the UK permanently, the Independent reports. Mehdi Kazemi, 19, lost his asylum claim in Britain and is now in a detention center in...

British Duke Tied to Spitzer Hooker Ring

Mar 13, 2008 4:44 PM CDT

British Duke Tied to Spitzer Hooker Ring

Gerald Grosvenor, UK's richest man, could be Emperor's 'Client 6'

(Newser) - The richest man in England has been linked to the prostitution ring patronized by Eliot Spitzer, the New York Daily News reports. Sources identified Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, as Emperors Club “Client 6,” who arranged four visits in late 2006. Grosvenor is a close friend of...

UK Acts to Boost 'Britishness'

Mar 11, 2008 4:18 PM CDT

UK Acts to Boost 'Britishness'

Lord unveils proposals to strengthen citizenship

(Newser) - The British government is considering a set of proposals intended to increase British pride and strengthen citizenship. An American-style pledge of allegiance—to the queen, not the flag—a new holiday to celebrate "Britishness," and a citizenship ceremony for schoolkids are under review, the Guardian reports. The peer...

UK Probes Forced Child Marriage

Mar 11, 2008 1:45 PM CDT

UK Probes Forced Child Marriage

Officials fear parents force missing kids into wedlock abroad

(Newser) - Hundreds of kids from ethnic minorities are disappearing from British schools, and authorities are worried that they're being forced into marriages in other countries. Two separate government probes are investigating, the BBC reports, but one expert says there could be as many as 3,000 forced marriages a year in...

UK Questions Mount Over US 'Torture Flights'

Mar 10, 2008 10:01 AM CDT

UK Questions Mount Over US 'Torture Flights'

Brits uncertain of extent that rendition flights utilized UK territory

(Newser) - Amid pressure British officials said yesterday that they were “working behind the scenes” to root out more information about the CIA rendition flights that landed on British soil, the Guardian reports. The UN’s special torture investigator has said there is credible evidence to suggest that the US ran...