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NEWS ABOUT: United Kingdom

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Only Trade Can Rescue World Economy: Brown

'A banking crisis has become a trade crisis,' writes British PM

(Newser) - The banking crisis has stabilized, according to Gordon Brown, but a new calamity has replaced it: "a trade crisis" that is killing jobs in industrialized nations and exacerbating poverty in developing ones. Globalization has compounded the downturn, but it can also accelerate the pickup, the British PM writes in... More »

British MP Billed Taxpayers for 'Servants' Wing'

Tory then sold house and evaded capital gains tax

(Newser) - Just when the scandal over British MPs' expenses seemed to be petering out comes news that a Conservative legislator charged taxpayers $27,000 to build servants' quarters at his second home, the Times of London reports. Sir John Butterfill told the BBC the suggestion he had servants was a "... More »

Stocks Plummet on UK's Credit Woes

(Newser) - Stocks plummeted at today’s open after Standard & Poor’s warned it might downgrade the UK’s credit rating, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow tumbled 126 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P each fell more than 1%. Investors now fear other major economies, including the US,... More »

Fraud Colleges Admit Terror Suspects to UK

Alleged al-Qaeda members enrolled in ring of fake schools

(Newser) - Thousands of young Pakistanis have entered Britain by applying for visas to study at sham colleges that issue fake diplomas and attendance records, the Times of London reports. Ten of the 12 men arrested last month when police busted an alleged al-Qaeda plot were enrolled at a bogus college; other... More »

Brown to Purge Cabinet After Expenses Flap

Scandal-hit ministers face axe as PM plans government overhaul

(Newser) - Gordon Brown has been dropping hints of a major reshuffle and possible constitutional reform as the crisis over British MPs' expenses continues. The Telegraph alleged today that two ministers fiddled with the rules to avoid paying capital gains tax after selling their homes. The PM is said to be preparing... More »

UK Expenses Scandal Claims House Speaker

House of Commons speaker Michael Martin steps down

(Newser) - The ongoing controversy surrounding British MPs' lavish expenses has claimed its biggest victim: the speaker of the House of Commons. Michael Martin, who presides over the country's main legislative body, will announce his resignation today after losing the support of party leaders, including Gordon Brown—not for cheating on his... More »

Branson's Next Launch: Virgin Internet Bank

Exploiting the public's discontent with banks, Virgin could bid for Northern Rock

(Newser) - Capitalizing on public disgust with Britain’s big banks, Richard Branson plans to launch an Internet bank through subsidiary Virgin Money that will take deposits and offer mortgages, the Guardian reports. Branson is talking to investors and some US banks about financial backing and could set in motion more ambitious... More »

English Pub Gets Around Smoking Ban

Turning bar into 'smoking research facility' makes it legal

(Newser) - One British pub has found a way around the country’s smoking ban, one that could send the entire law up in smoke. Owner Kerry Fenton has turned her bar’s tap room into a “Smoking Research Center.” Would-be puffers need only fill out a questionnaire asking how... More »

US Threatens to Limit Intel Sharing With UK

... if British courts release details on Guantanamo abuse

(Newser) - The Obama administration says it will cut down on intelligence sharing with the UK if British courts reveal details on the treatment of a former Guantanamo detainee, the Washington Times reports. In a letter to the British Foreign Office, the administration says that releasing a report on the treatment of... More »

Giant Jelly Storms UK Beach

(Newser) - Bathers at a British beach were flummoxed today by the sight of a 4-foot jellyfish that washed up on the shore near Devon, the Telegraph reports. It’s one of the biggest jellies to be found in the UK and unusually large for the Rootmouth species, which experts say usually... More »

Media Playing Dirty in Brown Expenses Flap

PM's sister-in-law hits back after fiasco over housekeeping

(Newser) - British politicians have endured four days' worth of brutal press coverage after a newspaper published leaked parliamentary expense accounts, which include claims for everything from major home renovations to a Kit Kat bar. Gordon Brown, normally thought of as a frugal preacher's son, expensed $10,000 for cleaning—made payable... More »

Bulletproof Turban in Development for UK's Sikh Cops

(Newser) - Scientists are developing a bulletproof turban that would allow Britain’s Sikh police officers to handle firearms and become riot cops, the Telegraph reports. The religion requires men keep their turbans on at all times, barring them from wearing helmets required in certain high-risk scenarios. “There needs to be... More »

UK Shop Ends Bra-Size Discrimination

Surcharge for large-chested women corrected after public uproar

(Newser) - British retailer Marks & Spencer has agreed to standardize prices across bra sizes so bustier women won’t pay more for their undergarments, the BBC reports. The store ran advertisements in UK newspapers admitting it had “boobed” by adding an extra $3 for bras over DD size. It was... More »

Martha's Banned From Britain, Too

(Newser) - American shock jock Michael Savage is only the latest celebrity banned from entering the UK; Mental Floss compiles a list of other notables:
  • Martha Stewart: “It’s frankly hard to believe that any country would want to ban Martha, domestic goddess of all that is clean and organized and
... More »

Libya Seeks Transfer of Dying Lockerbie Bomber

Scotland has final say over inmate's fate

(Newser) - Libya is pressing the Scottish government to OK a transfer that would allow a terminally ill Lockerbie conspirator to die at home, the BBC reports. The prisoner, who was convicted in 2001 for his role in the 1988 Pan Am bombing, would have to drop an appeal that's currently being... More »

UK Publishes List of Banned 'Extremists'

US radio host Savage named among those fostering 'hatred'

(AP) - Britain for the first time has published a list of people barred from entering the country for what the government says is fostering extremism or hatred. The list includes popular US talk-radio host Michael Savage, who has called the Koran a "book of hate” and has enraged parents of... More »

30 Years On, Thatcher Still Divides

Britain's first female PM polarized during her rule, and after

(Newser) - Thirty years ago today British voters elected Margaret Thatcher in a landmark election, ushering in 18 years of Conservative rule. She remains a polarizing figure: her enemies still regard her as nearly diabolical, while her admirers speak of her as a saint. The Telegraph looks back on her tumultuous 11-year... More »

British Cabinet Starts to Rebel Against Brown

After a bad week, PM's deputy suggests she wants to lead Britain

(Newser) - A disastrous week for Gordon Brown has reignited speculation that the British prime minister could be forced out of his job, as senior Labour figures struggled to rein in a restless party. After losing a vote on soldiers' rights and backing down on proposed reforms, Brown is facing renewed calls... More »

Turner Prize Nods Include Crystal Cave

Four artists up for $36,000 art prize

(Newser) - A diverse quartet of artists has been nominated for this year's Turner Prize, one of the art world's most visible awards. Two artists from London and two from Glasgow are up for the UK prize, which comes with a $36,000 purse. They will exhibit their work, which runs the... More »

UK Minister Denies He Bet Governing Party Would Falter

Lord West got 66-1 odds on Labour defeat

(Newser) - Lord Alan West, the UK’s colorful security minister, today denied he’d bet on the Labour party’s defeat in the next election, the Times of London reports. The Telegraph yesterday alleged that West placed the bet when Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as prime minister, grabbing 66-1 odds.... More »

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