Vows Basra pullout in
2 weeks; mum on link
to kidnappings
Times (UK) Dec 9, 07 3:35 PM CST
(Newser)
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UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown surprised his troops with a visit in Iraq today and declared that Britain will cede control of Basra within two weeks, the Times of London reports. He told 300 soldiers that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki had advised the quick pull-out "so Iraq can take far more responsibility for its security"—but UK ministers link the move to Iraqis who have kidnapped British citizens and threatened to kill at least one.
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Brit lords mediated; she'll be free today
BBC Dec 3, 07 2:42 CST
(Newser)
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A teacher who was sentenced to 15 days in jail in Sudan for allowing a classroom teddy bear to be named Muhammad has won a full pardon and will be freed today, the BBC reports. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir granted the pardon to Gillian Gibbons, 54, after meeting with two British Muslim lords who traveled to Sudan to plead her case.
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Flap over illegal donations has
Labour reeling
Times (UK) Nov 30, 07 8:15 CST
(Newser)
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The British scandal over political donations deepened today with PM Gordon Brown implicated in the affair and facing possible questioning from police, reports the Times of London. Accusations of illegal proxy donations are engulfing the Labour Party, which only last year faced down a police inquiry over the so-called "cash-for-honors" scandal that saw Tony Blair questioned by Scotland Yard.
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Brown: Embassy is 'giving all appropriate consular assistance'
CNN Nov 27, 07 1:06 PM CST
(Newser)
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Gordon Brown said today that UK officials are working to free the British citizen being held in Sudan for allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Mohammed." Gillian Gibbons was accused of blasphemy and faces prison time or 40 lashes. The British embassy in Khartoum is "giving all appropriate consular assistance to her," the PM said.
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Party general secretary quits over 'murky affair'; rival Tories smell blood
Independent (UK) Nov 27, 07 9:18 CST
(Newser)
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The general secretary of Britain's ruling Labour Party has quit over secret donations made to the party, reports The Independent . The news is a fresh blow to party leader Gordon Brown, who had been hoping to launch a counter-offensive after a disastrous week that saw the rival Tory party open up its biggest poll lead in 19 years. The embattled PM said today he knew nothing about the "unacceptable" donations until Saturday, and they will be returned.
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$1.2B pledge to developing countries
is mostly forgotten
Guardian (UK) Nov 24, 07 7:45 PM CST
(Newser)
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Several of the world's richest nations have forgotten about a $1.2 billion pledge to help developed countries cope with climate change, the Guardian reports. The group has doled out less than $185 million so far to help them plan for global warming, defend against floods, and boost conservation. "This represents a broken promise on a massive scale and on quite a cynical scale as well," said one analyst.
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Higher-ups okayed sending files with personal info on 25M
Daily Telegraph (UK) Nov 23, 07 12:27 PM CST
(Newser)
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Alistair Darling's disastrous week continued today as the British chancellor of the exchequer faced accusations of a cover-up in the lost-data fiasco, the Telegraph reports. Contrary to Darling's claim that the loss of 25 million people's data was an error by a junior administrator, newly released e-mails indicate senior tax officials knew about the decision to cut costs by not purging sensitive information before transferring the files.
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Brown apologizes as criticism of government grows louder
Times (UK) Nov 22, 07 2:15 PM CST
(Newser)
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The fallout from the lost data fiasco in Britain continues, as the Times of London reveals that two more unencrypted discs containing sensitive personal information have been reported missing from the nation's tax agency. Gordon Brown faced down a furious opposition in Prime Minister's Questions yesterday. The PM has employed a "masochism strategy": take the hit now to keep Alistair Darling, his chancellor, in his job.
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25M missing records spell trouble for already shaky Labour
Daily Telegraph (UK) Nov 21, 07 2:28 PM CST
(Newser)
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A day after Alistair Darling was forced to admit that the tax department had lost the personal data of 25 million citizens, the British chancellor was fighting to keep his job in the face of a hostile and incredulous press. "Beyond farce, past comprehension, criminally irresponsible and beneath contempt" was the assessment of one Times columnist. Darling insisted on morning talk shows he would continue in his job, but the press is less certain.
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Bank crisis spells political trouble
Financial Times (UK) Nov 20, 07 8:36 CST
(Newser)
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In Britain the meltdown of Northern Rock has expanded into a full-out political crisis. The bank's stock plummeted 40% this morning to trade at less than a dollar a share, the Financial Times reports. The collapse of Northern Rock spells serious trouble for Alistair Darling, the chancellor, who is desperate to ensure that $80 billion in taxpayer-backed loans to Northern Rock will be repaid.
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Britain wants to pay Afghan farmers to ditch heroin production
Guardian (UK) Nov 10, 07 5:37 PM CST
(Newser)
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Afghanistan’s opium biz is booming, but British PM Gordon Brown says the almighty pound can squash it, the Guardian reports. He now wants to revive the UK's failed anti-opium program by paying Afghan farmers to produce crops other than poppy. So far, the UK has invested $20 million in Afghan policing, but seen only 400 arrests and a 34% spike in opium harvests this year.
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Columnist examines 'toxic' relations between PM Brown and Tory Cameron
Daily Telegraph (UK) Nov 8, 07 3:33 PM CST
(Newser)
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In London this week, a full slate of public appearances has forced Gordon Brown and David Cameron to act chummy and smile for the cameras. Yet as a columnist for the Telegraph observes, the Labour prime minister and Conservative opposition leader seem barely capable of having a conversation. Their mutual hatred is something unseen in Britain since Margaret Thatcher's days.
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Britain pledges to reduce emissions
60 percent by 2050
BBC Nov 7, 07 2:38 PM CST
(Newser)
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Britain has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent over the next four decades, the BBC reports. Under the Climate Change Bill, the government will create an independent commission to help it meet five-year "carbon budgets." The government says the plan gives Britain the first "legally binding framework" to reduce emissions.
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Hundreds more arrested as cops storm courthouse rally protesting emergency rule
Associated Press Nov 5, 07 5:12 CST
(Newser)
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Baton-swinging Pakistani police clashed violently today with lawyers across the nation demonstrating against President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule and suspension of civil rights. Hundreds were were arrested, joining 1,500 activists detained yesterday. In the largest confrontation security forces rushed 2,000 demonstrators outside the high court in Lahore.
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