Stories related to: England

To Britain, he’s a wanted man, a murderer responsible for a diplomatic crisis. To Russia, he’s a respected, successful politician. So it was an unrepentant Andrei Lugovoi who sat down with the Guardian ’s Luke Harding. The ex-KGB man insists he did not poison dissident Alexander Litvinenko by placing radioactive polonium in his tea. Instead, he sees himself as a victim.  More »

An answer to the world's energy crisis might be a breeze, the Economist reports—specifically, a breeze offshore. With wind blowing twice as fast offshore than on, engineers have been racing to develop technology to "float" wind turbines far out in the ocean—where they won't ruin coveted views from shore. They cost 50% more to build, but they generate five times as much power as landed cousins. More »

A group of Muslim scholars wants Mecca time to replace Greenwich Mean Time as the world's default setting, the BBC reports. As Islam’s holiest city lies in perfect longitudinal alignment to magnetic north, scientists told a Qatar conference that Mecca was the “true” center of the earth. GMT, they argue, is a relic of British imperialism, and should be abolished. More »

England banned fox hunting with hounds three years ago—but riding clubs unwilling to give up centuries of tradition or the thrill of the chase are recruiting human prey, ABC News reports. The runners drag along a dead animal—road kill—to leave a trail for the hounds, and are paid $30 a day, plus "sandwiches, sausage rolls, cake, and hot tea," according to one club. More »

All five people on a private jet were killed today when it crashed into a home outside London, the Guardian reports. One witness said the pilot appeared to lose control of the Cessna before it crashed in "a massive fireball. It seemed like a fighter jet, the noise of the engine screaming." No one was hurt on the ground, although the house of a family on vacation was destroyed, CNN reports. More »

Good news for anyone who's ever wanted to be someone else: You can be Ian Usher of Perth, Australia. The native Brit went through a nasty divorce and has decided to put his whole life on the eBay auction block: house, friends, motorcycle, car, even his job. The total cost? Upwards of $390,000, roughly the value of the house, ABC News reports. More »

John McCain made a surprise visit to Baghdad this morning, where he will meet with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Gen. David Petraeus, and US troops. Details were sketchy for security reasons. McCain, who has linked his political hopes to success in Iraq, has begun a tour of the Mideast and Europe to position himself for the general election as a world leader, the Chicago Tribune reports. More »

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 the Netherlands, but the British Home Secretary has bowed to pressure and agreed to reconsider. A Dutch court Tuesday said he could not claim asylum there. More »

After reports that officers in Britain's Royal Air Force advised members against wearing uniforms in public, Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged troops to show their colors, the Telegraph reports—and chastised citizens for the verbal abuse that prompted the guidelines. Brown said troops should “have the respect and gratitude of the British people” and police should work to stop any abuse. More »

Some British strategists saw the outcome of World War II written in the stars, according to newly declassified documents that reveal the role of an astrologer in predicting Adolf Hilter's moves. An intelligence agency employed a colorful character who claimed to be able to use astrological readings to, as one supporter put it, tell "when his aspects are bad," the Guardian reports. More »

In a revealing interview with the British press, Prince Harry spoke yesterday of his stint in Afghanistan as one of the happiest times of his life, and said he "generally" doesn't "like England that much." The third-in-line to the British throne insisted he's not a hero, and talked emotionally of two wounded soldiers who flew home with him. "Those are the heroes, guys who had been blown up by a mine serving their country. It is a bit of a choke in your throat," he said.   More »

The Other Boleyn Girl is anything but a dry history lesson about the 16th century, critics say—don't take it too seriously, and you'll be all right. It "probably shouldn't be the way in which high-school kids learn about Henry VIII and his court, but it's a fun movie," writes Bill Goodykoonts in the Arizona Republic . Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson star as Anne Boleyn and her sister Mary. More »

Britons are calming down with a cuppa this morning after an earthquake rattled much of the island at 12:56am. The biggest quake here since 1984, the tremor was reported to be between 4.7 and 5.3 on the Richter scale and centered 127 miles north of London. Bricks tumbled and power went out in some places and one injury was reported, according to the Guardian . More »

After a video showed the former royal butler saying he’d been untruthful during an appearance at the Princess Diana inquest, Paul Burrell is being asked to return and explain himself, reports the BBC. In the tape, Burrell allegedly claims to have dropped “red herrings” and kept secrets in his testimony; his lawyers say the statements were drawn from “insidious” questioning from the Sun newspaper. More »

A British court yesterday found a former forklift driver guilty of the murders of five young women. The string of prostitute murders in Ipswich made the man dubbed the "Suffolk Strangler" one of Britain's most notorious serial killers. "I feel the pain will never go away," said the mother of a victim. Police now suspect Steve Wright, 49, in other unsolved murders. More »

Violence in the name of family honor affects at least 17,000 women every year in Britain, and the number of unreported incidents may be drastically higher, the Independent reports. Forced marriages, sexual assaults, domestic violence, and so-called "honor" killings are reaching crisis levels, British officials say; they are calling on their consulates abroad to ramp up rescue efforts when daughters, some as young as 11, are sent abroad to marry against their will. More »

Bridesmaids may be watching more than their weight if pre-wedding contracts become standard fare. One bride-to-be in five recently told pollsters that she favored a contract to make sure bridesmaids stay thin and don't get pregnant; other clauses would include limiting their alcohol intake and flirtation with "inappropriate male guests," including the groom, the Telegraph reports. More »

In an odd twist, Prince William may try a stint in journalism to train for public life, the Guardian reports. Officials say he would benefit from reporting on others, as journos will one day report on him as heir to England's throne. His handlers are also considering spells for William in civil service, sports, and law. More »

For the first time in 400 years, Catholicism has more adherents than the Church of England in Great Britain, the Sunday Telegraph reports. Immigrants from Eastern Europe and Africa have filled the pews of Catholic churches, while attendance at Anglican Sunday services has dipped 20% since 2000, according to a survey of English churches. More »

British authorities are cracking down on a deadly, if unconventional, weapon—the samurai sword. The government banned the sale of the Japanese blades this week following at least 80 serious attacks, including five deaths, in the last few years, the Guardian reports. Collectors and martial arts practitioners will not be affected, just those who pick up cheaper imitations. More »