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30 Mar 2011 19:11

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World: Moussa Koussa done working for Gaddafi’s regime

  • Gaddafi suffers high-profile defection: This man, Moussa Koussa, was the Foreign Minister in Libya. That ended today as Koussa, who according to Britain’s Foreign Office was “one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi’s government,” defected from Libya and flew into the UK’s Farnborough Airport. British officials say that he left of his own free will, and that he was no longer willing to act as an international representative of Gaddafi’s Libya. With recent reports suggesting tough losses for the rebels (while world leaders mull more active arms support), any news of Gaddafi’s officials defecting makes us hopeful for an internal weakening of his command. source

17 Mar 2011 13:37

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World: International team makes biggest online pedophilia bust

  • 640 the number of suspects identified so far, in what international law enforcement is calling the biggest bust of a pedophile group in history
  • 230 the number of children that international law enforcement have positively identified as having been abused by the group source
  • » Hats off to the good guys! Authorities believe that the online assemblage of pedophiles had about 70,000 users at its peak. The team that engineered this bust, led by U.K. investigators, took months to advance as the proprietor of the website had sophisticated security measures in place to avoid detection (although if you’re looking to keep your monstrosities clandestine, “The Internet BoyLove Directory” seems like a rather bold title). The Netherlands-based server that was hosting the website is now cooperating with authorities, making it likely that the ringleader of all this will face the justice his crimes have richly earned.

13 Oct 2010 10:47

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Tech: Graduate student redesigns U.K. three-prong plug impeccably

  • So, here’s something you may not know about electrical outlets in the United Kingdom. The three-prongers are really freaking big. And not in a way that can usually be avoided. They’re very cumbersome, and make U.S. power outlets look svelte in comparison. Fortunately for the Brits, Royal College of Art graduate student Min-Kyu Choi is on the case with this device, which folds out only when necessary, and (even better) is designed in such a way that multiple cords can fit into one plug. Expect Apple to have a job offer at this guy’s feet by tomorrow morning. source

09 Oct 2010 14:33

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Offbeat: Study: Older people laugh less. Us: Duh.

  • 52 age at which we lose our sense of humor source

11 Jun 2010 20:50

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Biz, U.S.: Fun oil spill fact: BP is just as much American as it is British

  • 40% the amount of the company owned by British shareholders; another 40 percent is owned by Americans
  • 7.3% the amount BP’s stock went up in the U.K. after the British government gave them a show of support today
  • 3.5% the amount the stock went up in the U.S. after the announcement; it’s been sucking in recent weeks source

02 Jun 2010 10:52

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U.S.: How much cancer can your smokes cause? Depends on the country

  • Americans have more; the U.K., Canada and Australia have less. Ah, nothing like a story about cigarettes to make you feel more alive. Researchers did a test of cigarette butts to see what sort of chemicals and toxins the cigarettes have. Apparently, different countries use different formulas and as a result, different countries have more dangerous smokes. And by different countries, we really mean “the U.S.” (Scary, right?) source

26 May 2010 10:48

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World: OK, everyone, guess how many nuclear warheads the U.K. has

  • 225 and not a single warhead more, kids source
 

15 May 2010 12:59

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World: Bangkok dangerous: Don’t go to Thailand capital, U.S. and UK say

  • Yes, the fighting has gotten that bad. About a month ago on Twitter, we noted the painful irony of Thailand promoting tourism on our site in the wake of the Red Shirts saga. Now it’s reached the point where two major Western nations have basically told its citizens not to go to the city. We hope the best for the country and its deteriorating political situation, but outsiders should heed this call. source

12 May 2010 20:56

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World: Three things Britain’s new coalition government wants to do

  • More consistent votes Create a more consistent schedule of leadership change by setting elections for parliament for every five years. The legislature can do it sooner if 55 percent of parliament votes to do so.
  • Austerity measures Like much of Europe, the coalition government plans to do something about the large amount of debt it’s built up. It won’t be quite as insane as Greece, but expect some things to get cut out of the budget.
  • Creating jobs 2.5 million Britons are unemployed, a number that might affect the strength of the coalition if they don’t do something about it. Expect Clegg’s people and Cameron’s people to be on it. source

11 May 2010 22:06

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Tech: Five things you didn’t know about new British PM David Cameron

  • one The Tory leader (in
    power since 2005)
    is the youngest
    prime minister
    since 1812.
  • two He’s a few
    months younger
    than Tony Blair
    was when he took
    office in 1997.
  • three He largely built
    his base by
    copying tactics
    used by Blair in
    his rise to power.
  • four His wife is the
    creative director
    of a leather goods
    company. No, not
    that kind.
  • five Sadly, his
    six-year-old son
    died last year of
    cerebal palsy and
    epilepsy. source