Commuters Down the Tube as Strike Hits London

(NEWSER) - After failing to reach an agreement with management, London Underground workers will go on a two-day strike starting tomorrow evening, Reuters reports. The dispute over worker safety could affect millions of commuters and tourists. London transportation authorities say they will add extra buses and ferries to accommodate the disruption. More»

Mayor tips hat to Obama inauguration with Old Glory

(NEWSER) - Tomorrow morning, while Washington sleeps, the mayor of London will celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama by hoisting the American flag at city hall. Boris Johnson, a Conservative born in New York who publicly supported Obama during the campaign, will raise the flag himself, reports the Guardian. A rep from the American embassy in London was "delighted" to hear of the gesture. More»

End of the line for lushes

(NEWSER) - One of the first acts of the newly elected mayor of London was to ban drinking alcohol on London's Tube subway system and buses, USA Today reports. The ban, which was a campaign pledge by Boris Johnson, will take effect Sunday. Public drinking has been commonplace in Britain for decades. More»

Johnson's huge win deals devastating blow to Brown's Labour party

(NEWSER) - Self-described "buffoon" Boris Johnson won a hard-fought race last night to become mayor of London, the Guardian reports, dealing British PM Gordon Brown's party a stunning loss in his first election test. Johnson unseated Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone 53% to 47% after a 15-hour count that ended with a conservative taking the nation's first high-profile office in more than a decade. More»

Labor posts worst election results in 40 years

(NEWSER) - Labor has suffered its worst showing in 40 years in local elections across England and Wales. Just one year after Gordon Brown became prime minister, his party pulled only 24% of the projected national vote, 20 points behind the Tories and behind even the third-party Liberal Democrats. As for the night's most closely watched race—for mayor of London—both parties privately project that Tory challenger Boris Johnson has won. More»