United Kingdom

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Inside the UK's Plan to Pump Up Its Military
Inside the UK's Plan
to Pump Up Its Military
the rundown
Jun 4, 2025 1:51 PM CDT

Inside the UK's Plan to Pump Up Its Military

PM Keir Starmer announced planned increase in defense spending

(Newser) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday advocated for a plan that would see the UK make its biggest increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War, build new nuclear-powered attack submarines, and become "a battle-ready, armor-clad nation." Starmer was blunt about the main instigator...

Dog Rescued From Ocean After 100-Mile Adventure

Amber, a retriever cross, swam to island during her 36 days on the lam in southern England

(Newser) - An adventurous dog was rescued in the nick of time on Saturday after covering 100 miles during five weeks on the run, including doggy-paddling to an island a mile off of England's southern coast. Amber, a five-year-old retriever cross, was initially rescued as a street pup in Qatar and...

'UK's Poshest Thief' Avoids Jail Time

Criminologist fined for stealing wine, steaks, Le Creuset cookware

(Newser) - A criminologist dubbed "the UK's poshest thief" by tabloids has avoided jail time for a shopping spree that included stealing wine, steaks, and Le Creuset cookware. Pauline Al Said, a 35-year-old former criminology lecturer at the University of Bath, was fined just over $2,000 for the thefts...

Tiny Home Where Brontes Were Born Is Now Open to Public

Newly refurbished Bronte Birthplace in Thornton, England, is where literary sisters lived until 1820

(Newser) - What inspired not one, not two, but a total of three young women in the Bronte family to write literary masterpieces? If the answers can be found within the walls of where they grew up, fans may soon find what they're looking for: The Bronte Birthplace , a tiny cottage...

UK Lawmaker Confronts Alleged Fare-Dodgers

'Do you want to go back and pay like everybody else?' he asks man at London Underground station

(Newser) - By day, he is Robert Jenrick, a senior Conservative Party lawmaker in the UK. Also by day, he is Robert Jenrick, subway vigilante. In a video posted on X, Jenrick, the opposition party's shadow justice secretary, confronted fare-dodgers at a London Underground station. In the footage, Jenrick questions...

Pushing for Son's Freedom, Mom Ends Up in Hospital Again

'We're losing her,' daughter says of Laila Soueif, on a hunger strike for activist son imprisoned in Egypt

(Newser) - The mother of a pro-democracy activist imprisoned in Egypt is seriously ill in a London hospital after resuming a monthslong hunger strike aimed at pressing for her son's release, her family said Friday. Laila Soueif was admitted to St. Thomas' Hospital on Thursday night with dangerously low blood-sugar levels,...

'Exceptional' Toddler Named Youngest Mensa Member

2-year-old Joseph Harris-Birtill already knows the Greek alphabet, is learning morse code

(Newser) - It can take babies months to learn how to roll over. Joseph Harris-Birtill of the UK mastered the skill in just five weeks, according to his mother. At seven months, around the time many babies become experts at rolling over, Joseph was speaking his first word. And just over a...

Car Plows Into Liverpool Fans After Victory Parade

It was 'clearly deliberate,' witness reports, though police say it's not being investigated as terrorism

(Newser) - In what a witness says appeared to be a "clearly deliberate" act—though police said they don't suspect terrorism—a driver plowed into a crowd of people celebrating Liverpool's English Premier League title on Monday. First responders said 27 injured people were taken to hospitals and another...

UK Might Make Chemical Castration Mandatory

Justice secretary says treatment reduces reoffending among sex offenders by 60%

(Newser) - The UK is planning to expand its voluntary chemical castration program for sex offenders to 20 prisons—and officials are considering making it mandatory. "I'm not squeamish about taking these further measures," Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Thursday, per the BBC . "It is vital that this...

Done Deal: Chagos Islands Handed Back to Mauritius

Injunction was lifted to allow UK to pass sovereignty of archipelago over

(Newser) - A deal was signed Thursday after a British court said the UK can transfer sovereignty over the contested Chagos Islands to Mauritius, overturning a block that was imposed hours before the agreement was due to be signed. The UK agreed to hand over to Mauritius the Indian Ocean archipelago, which...

Member of Irish Hip-Hop Group Charged With Terror Offense

Kneecap rapper allegedly waved Hezbollah flag at London concert

(Newser) - A member of the Irish hip-hop group Kneecap has been charged by British police with a terrorism offense after allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a London concert. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, is accused of displaying the flag in support of a banned...

England Is Waging War Against Gonorrhea

Pilot vaccine program launching amid a spike in infections will be a world first

(Newser) - England will become the first country to introduce a mass vaccination drive against gonorrhea, targeting primarily gay and bisexual men who either have a history of multiple sexual partners or prior STIs. NHS England will begin offering the vaccine in August at sexual health clinics, with the aim of...

Chris Brown Catches a Break After Arrest

Singer accused of beating music producer at nightclub granted bail in the UK ahead of tour dates

(Newser) - Chris Brown's upcoming world tour is back on track after a London court granted him bail following charges of a violent nightclub assault more than two years ago. The singer now faces strict conditions as legal proceedings continue, per Reuters . Brown, 36, is accused of hitting music producer...

The UK Is Cracking Down on Israel
The UK Is
Not Happy
With Israel
May 20, 2025 9:50 AM CDT

The UK Is Not Happy With Israel

Britain yanks free-trade talks, slaps sanctions on Israel over actions in Gaza, West Bank

(Newser) - The British government is suspending free-trade negotiations with Israel and has leveled new sanctions targeting West Bank settlements as it criticizes Israel's military actions in Gaza. Tuesday's actions came a day after the UK, France, and Canada condemned Israel's handling of the war in Gaza and its...

Police Think Abandoned Babies Came From One of 400 Homes

3 newborns, all siblings, were abandoned in London between 2017 and 2024

(Newser) - Three siblings abandoned in London as newborns over a period of seven years were lucky to survive—and police have stepped up their search for the parents in case a potential fourth is not as fortunate. Police have narrowed the search to an area of around 400 houses in east...

UK Police Investigate Fire at Prime Minister's House
Suspect Charged in
Fires at Starmer Properties
updated
May 15, 2025 4:42 PM CDT

Suspect Charged in Fires at Starmer Properties

Prime minister, other politicians have condemned the attacks

(Newser) - A suspect has been charged with setting fires that damaged two properties and a car linked to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Roman Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian national, was charged Thursday with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life, the AP reports. The charges are in connection with a...

Sperm Donor Who Claims 180 Kids Loses Custody Battle

'Joe Donor' seeks to control others, UK judge says

(Newser) - "The evidence before the court shows that Mr. Albon will have sex with, or provide his sperm for artificial insemination, to just about anyone who asks," a British High Court judge said in a ruling rejecting a custody bid from a man who claims to have fathered more...

He Spent 38 Years in UK Prison for Murder He Didn't Commit

'I am not angry, I am not bitter,' Peter Sullivan says

(Newser) - A man who spent nearly four decades in a British prison in the killing of a barmaid said he was not angry or bitter Tuesday as his murder conviction was overturned and he was released after being exonerated by DNA evidence. Peter Sullivan put his hand over his mouth and...

In Kyiv, 'Coalition of the Willing' Puts Pressure on Putin

Heads of UK, France, Germany, Poland want Russia to OK ceasefire on Ukraine starting Monday

(Newser) - In a show of unity in Kyiv on Saturday, leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure if Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. The leaders, from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland, said the proposal to start the ceasefire on...

2 Guilty of 'Arboreal Equivalent of Mindless Thuggery'

Daniel Graham, Adam Carruthers could face 'lengthy' prison terms for felling Sycamore Gap tree

(Newser) - Two British men are facing prison time for what prosecutors called the "arboreal equivalent of mindless thuggery." Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were found guilty Friday of cutting down the famous Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland, England, the BBC reports. They were remanded into custody ahead...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser