Scots' Delicacy May Actually Be...English

Curiosity, drive to save indigenous species creates thriving market for critter's meat

(NEWSER) - Squirrel is quickly becoming a part of the British palate, as curiosity—and devotion to a native icon—drives Britons to try something new, the New York Times reports. The trend can be traced in part to the surging population of gray squirrels, a North American import. The grays have been crowding out the nation's beloved red squirrels (think Beatrix Potter), and it is the grays that are ending up as main courses. More»

Opponents argue that infirm, elderly will be disadvantaged

(NEWSER) - The UK plans to phase out the paper check in 2018. Officials say they'll use the next 8 years to push for innovation in payments in the country, especially electronic methods. There is robust opposition to the plan, the Telegraph reports, but the Payment Council—a semi-governmental UK entity made up of banking industry leaders and independent overseers—has pledged to “ensure that everyone has a viable alternative.” More»

Anglo-Saxon gold unearthed by jobless searcher this summer

(NEWSER) - An amateur British treasure hunter and the owner of the field where he struck gold are in for a big payday: His find turns out to be a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon cache of the precious metal. The collection is worth about $5.4 million, British Museum tells the AP . The treasure—all 1,500 pieces of it—was found this summer in Staffordshire and generated much excitement among British archaeologists. Two central England museums hope to acquire it jointly. More»

Find sheds light on Worcestershire's long-secret flavors

(NEWSER) - What looks to be the original and long-secret recipe for Lea and Perrins legendary Worcestershire Sauce has been found. A woman in England discovered it among her late father's leather-bound notebooks. He worked as an accountant for Lea and Perrins and found the 19th-century document in the trash at the factory, reports the Daily Mail . More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama today brought his displeasure over the release of the Lockerbie bomber directly to Gordon Brown’s attention, the BBC reports. Obama did not specifically blame Brown, but relatives of those who died are outraged at the release, and the president has called it a “mistake.” The UK PM maintains the decision to spring Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was entirely up to the Scottish government. More»