The pound takes a pounding
The British Pound has been taking a hit all week and it took another beating yesterday dropping to its lowest price since July 1985. While the government is rapidly injecting tax payer funds into the...
View ArticleBritish Prime Minister Gordon Brown heads to his Obama photo op
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown begins an official visit to the United States today. He’ll be the first European leader to meet President Obama in the White House. And on the agenda — you guessed...
View ArticlePosted at the Pub, A Soldier's Letters Home
The U.K. has sent more than 8,000 soldiers to Afghanistan, but the account of one soldier, Michael Saunders, has become a local link to the war for residents of Worcester, England. Michael's been...
View ArticleCharge It! An Expense-Account Scandal in Parliament
There's a juicy scandal brewing in England over what politicians claimed on their expense reports. The furor has engulfed Parliament and provoked wide public outrage. The expense claims didn't violate...
View ArticleDon't Ask, Don't Tell — Except in Britain
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it will not review the Pentagon's controversial "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy, which requires U.S. service members to keep their sexual orientation under wraps....
View ArticleFrance Breaks Up Afghan Migrant Camps
The northern French town of Calais is known as a crossing point into England; hopeful immigrants to Britain have frequently created makeshift camps while waiting to cross the border into England. But...
View ArticleGordon Brown Set to Step Down as Labour Party Leader
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that he is set to step down as Labour Party leader by September. This shocking announcement comes in the wake of last Thursday's elections which saw the...
View Article2012 Olympics Mascots Revealed to Mixed Reviews
Which creatures have just one eye and are made from drops of steel? Wenlock and Mandeville, the 2012 Olympics mascots, unveiled earlier this week in London. They are magical, androgynous figures,...
View ArticleThe Case Against WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange
Julian Assange turned himself over to police in London on Tuesday, bringing to a close a period of speculation about how and whether the WikiLeaks founder would wind up in custody. Assange currently...
View Article'She-Wolves:' Queens Before Elizabeth
In England, and around the world, all eyes may be on Kate Middleton, the future queen. But long before Middleton or even Queen Elizabeth I, women of the monarchy were attracting great attention and...
View ArticleUK's Youth Planning to be 'Poorer Than Their Parents'
As riots and unrest continue to spread throughout England, some say they began with youths who are unhappy with the economic climate there. Throughout the U.K., there is a growing sense that many young...
View ArticleQueen Elizabeth Marks 60 Years as Monarch with Diamond Jubilee
On June 2, 1953, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey in London. 2012 marks 60 years of her renowned and at times tumultuous reign. She was famous for...
View ArticleThe Two Faces of London: John Lanchester's "Capital"
London has had plenty of reasons to celebrate lately. Last April was the Royal Wedding, and just a few weeks ago thousands commemorated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. But behind these posh events, and...
View ArticleHow a British Spy Agency is Manipulating the Internet
New documents provided to journalist Glenn Greenwald by NSA leaker Edward Snowden show that a British intelligence agency has been manipulating the internet.Greenwald's new site, "The Intercept,"...
View ArticleWhat's at Stake Ahead of Scotland’s Historic Independence Vote
On September 18th, more than 4 million people in Scotland will get to vote in a historic referendum on whether their country should become independent for the first time in more than 300 years.Much is...
View ArticleCameron, Conservatives Claim Victory in U.K. Elections
It was one of the tightest elections in decades, but Prime Minister David Cameron was able to come out on top, a stunning defeat for the opposing Labour Party and its leader, Ed Miliband, who stepped...
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Why Pencils Still Have a Place in The Age of Digital Art
When was the last time you used a pencil? Once possibly the most important tool of any artist, the pencil has largely become optional. Animators and designers can easily draw with computers and...
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Policing Without Guns: How British Officers Keep the Peace
According to Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of the Greater Manchester Police, a police officer's "best weapon is their mouth.”Fahy, who is also the spokesman on workforce development for the...
View ArticleLong Live the Queen: Elizabeth II is Now Britain's Longest-Serving Monarch
Click on the audio player above to hear this segment.In the summer of 1952, Queen Elizabeth II took the throne in Great Britain. Today she becomes the country's longest-serving monarch, surpassing...
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Your Guide to The Weirdest Places in the U.K.
Click on the audio player above to hear this interview.This edition of The Takeaway Weekender Podcast features a special extended interview with American humorist and writer Bill Bryson.More than 20...
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