Britain

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22 Hostages Still Missing in Algeria: Report

...as standoff between military, militants continues

(Newser) - After the Algerian military launched an attack on militants holding hostages at a gas field, numbers remain hazy, but Reuters reports that the whereabouts of 22 of those hostages—14 Japanese and eight Norwegians—remain unknown. Algerian special forces continue to surround the site, a local insider tells Reuters, adding...

Early Reports: 35 Hostages Killed in Algeria Crisis

Many had already escaped, according to earlier reports

(Newser) - Some 35 hostages and 15 Islamist militants in the Algerian crisis have reportedly been killed in a helicopter attack launched by the Algerian military, reports the AP . Those numbers, however, were released by the militants, who also announced that seven of the 41 hostages taken, including two Americans, are still...

Helicopter Crashes in Central London

2 deaths confirmed after chopper hits crane

(Newser) - At least two people were killed when a helicopter crashed into a crane at the top of a skyscraper in central London during rush hour today. The helicopter "plummeted straight into the ground," a witness tells the BBC . "The building the helicopter hit is shrouded in mist....

Brits, Irish Flip After Horse Meat Found in Burgers

DNA tests reveal supermarket 'beef' burgers up to 29% horse

(Newser) - Queasy consumers in Britain and Ireland are chucking out frozen hamburgers after learning that they could contain horse meat. Food safety experts conducting DNA tests found that around a third of burgers from major supermarket chains contained horse DNA, the Telegraph reports. The levels of horse DNA were fairly low...

Historic Cathedral Can Be Saved With ... Olive Oil?

Brits hope to keep York Minister from falling apart

(Newser) - Nothing like a little salad dressing to rescue an 800-year-old cathedral. British scientists and archaeologists tasked with saving York Minister, a stunning cathedral in northern England, say olive oil may do the trick, NPR reports. The oil's main ingredient—oleic acid—could protect the building's stones from acid...

1,000 Priests: Gay Marriage Means Catholic 'Persecution'

British Catholics fear a return to days of Henry VIII

(Newser) - More than 1,000 Catholic priests have written a frantic letter arguing that same-sex marriage laws in Britain would "severely" limit their freedom to promote and practice their faith, the Daily Telegraph reports. "After centuries of persecution, Catholics have, in recent times, been able to be members of...

Brits Planned Ships Made of Ice During WWII

And New Zealand tested underwater 'Tsunami Bombs'

(Newser) - Winston Churchill was so afraid of Nazi submarines targeting supply ships during WWII that he flirted with building aircraft carriers out of sheer ice, New Scientist reports. Knowing Britain could starve without US supplies, he approved a test project aimed at delivering 2,000-foot-long ice ships with 40-foot hulls that...

Has &#39;Unbreakable&#39; WWII Message Been Cracked?

 Has 'Unbreakable' 
 WWII Message 
 Been Cracked? 
in case you missed it
Dec 22, 2012 12:30 PM CST

Has 'Unbreakable' WWII Message Been Cracked?

Canadian man says WWI codebook was the key

(Newser) - A recently discovered coded message from World War II may have been cracked. A British intelligence agency took the 27 blocks of text, found attached to the remains of a pigeon discovered in a UK chimney, to the public last month after its codebreakers had no luck. Now, a Canadian...

UK Arrests 3 in Libor Scandal
 UK Arrests 3 in Libor Scandal 
Dec 11, 2012 10:39 AM CST

UK Arrests 3 in Libor Scandal

Brits questioned over rate-fixing

(Newser) - Britain has made the first three arrests in the Libor rate-fixing scandal , the New York Times reports. All are British nationals, aged 33, 41, and 47, adds the Wall Street Journal . The men are being questioned and their homes have been searched, authorities say. The youngest of the three, Thomas...

Teary Aussie DJs 'Gutted' Over Nurse's Death

Radio station says it tried to contact hospital 5 times before airing recording

(Newser) - Australian DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig have broken their silence on their royal prank call gone horribly wrong , reports the Guardian , tearfully telling an interviewer that they're "shattered, gutted, heartbroken" over the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha. "No one could've imagined this to happen,"...

UK Blasts Starbucks, Google for 'Immoral' Tax Evasion

Starbucks vows to clean up its act

(Newser) - British lawmakers today accused Starbucks, Google, Amazon, and other major global companies of immoral tax avoidance, with Parliament's public accounts committee saying the government should "get a grip" on multinationals that exploit tax laws to move profits generated in Britain to offshore domains. The companies "are getting...

Furious Europe Rips Israel Over New Settlements

UK, France, Sweden summon ambassadors to express displeasure

(Newser) - Israel's decision to approve 3,000 new homes on occupied territory is drawing sharp condemnation from European allies, with at least three governments summoning ambassadors to express their disapproval of an action they say undermines an already troubled peace process. Israeli envoys were called out in France, Britain, and...

WWII Message's Code May Be Unbreakable

Experts seek help decoding newly discovered missive

(Newser) - While renovating his chimney, a UK man discovered a long-lost coded message from World War II attached to the remains of a pigeon. Now experts are trying to figure out what the message said—and so far, they're at a loss, the BBC reports. A British intelligence agency is...

New Head of BBC: Opera Boss
 New Head of BBC: Opera Boss 
Nov 22, 2012 9:50 AM CST

New Head of BBC: Opera Boss

Former BBC exec Tony Hall to take over amid abuse scandal

(Newser) - The disgraced BBC has appointed a new director-general: Tony Hall, a former news executive at the network who went on to lead London's Royal Opera House, the New York Times reports. It will be up to Lord Hall to bolster the BBC's reputation after multiple scandals, one involving...

Ex-Murdoch Execs to Face Bribery Charges

Just the latest accusations for Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson

(Newser) - British prosecutors are adding new charges to the litany of accusations against former Rupert Murdoch executives. Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, both at the center of the phone-hacking scandal, will be charged with bribing public officials in exchange for stories and information, the New York Times reports. Two other News...

Scotland's New Hero Is Man in Giraffe Suit

Armstrong Baillie does good deeds around country; got idea 'on the loo'

(Newser) - While sitting on the toilet, a jobless Scottish man had an idea: Why not dress as a giraffe and do good deeds for people? Now, Armstrong Baillie has developed a reputation as the Good Giraffe, and as said animal he's done kindnesses like cleaning beaches, giving runners bananas, and...

Radical Cleric Leaves UK Prison

Abu Qatada out on bail after deportation effort nixed

(Newser) - As expected, radical cleric Abu Qatada was released on bail from a British prison today, the BBC reports. He had been held for the majority of the past decade; yesterday, however, judges ruled that he couldn't be deported to Jordan for a terror trial because of the country's...

BBC Chief Quits in Child Sex Abuse Row

George Entwistle admits show should never have aired

(Newser) - George Entwistle, the director general of the BBC, resigned today over a TV program the network had aired that wrongly implicated a British politician in a child sex-abuse scandal. In a brief statement outside BBC headquarters, Entwistle said he decided to do the "honorable thing" and step down after...

UFO Buffs: Maybe We Were Wrong

British UFO group to address the decline in sightings

(Newser) - Maybe the truth isn't out there after all? A British UFO organization has planned a meeting to discuss whether the issue has faded with the lack of proven sightings, the Telegraph reports. "It is certainly a possibility that in ten years time, it will be a dead subject,...

Look Out, World: Brits Have Invaded 90% of Nations

Only 22 countries have been exempt: book

(Newser) - If you're part of planet Earth, there's a really great chance that British forces have invaded your homeland at one time or another: Some nine out of 10 countries have suffered such a fate throughout history, a new book finds. Indeed, just 22 countries haven't seen a...

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