United Kingdom News

“Mayor Bloomberg has shown inspirational leadership and I am delighted we are establishing this new era of co-operation.”

Joe Murphy and Paul Waugh, Evening Standard 09.05.08 Boris Johnson has signed up former BBC political correspondent Guto Harri as his chief spin doctor, the Standard can reveal. via This is London

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Police in Lancashire are appealing for information to the whereabouts of a man after Preston Crown Court issued a warrant for his arrest. via This Is Lancashire

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“People should not take these comments seriously. The comments demonstrate the quirkiness of the English personality that is so attractive to many visitors.”

England, once famed for its high culture and good manners, has been dismissed in a new travel guide as home to "overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts". ALAMY Morris dancing at the Rochester Sweeps ... via Telegraph.co.uk

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New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg forecast Thursday that Belfast would become a leading hub for global investment within a decade. But that can only happen, he said, if the city tears down dozens of Berlin Wall-style barriers that still divide Irish Catholic and British Protestant.

Bloomberg addressed leaders of Northern Ireland's Catholic-Protestant administration and more than 100 potential U.S. corporate investors. The venue: A conference marking the first anniversary of the revival of power-sharing, the central dream of the 1998 Good Friday peace accord. Read more

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Four men accused of conspiring to support the banned terrorist Tamil Tigers organisation have been remanded in custody. via Hereford Times

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“Access to the site where they were playing was difficult because of the nature of the land. "The Sea King carried out aerial searches of the pond. Fire crews used flotation devices including a floatable pathway.”

A 12-year-old boy drowned in a pond after playing with his friends on sheets of polystyrene. via Daily Mail

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“The only downside to London is its safety and expense”

New York City, Paris and London are tops in fashion, according to Forbes.com . But Paris and NYC have a long way to go if they want to match London's cosmopolitan nature. via WJXT

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“We would ask all members of the public to respect cordons that are now in place and stay away from the area as the ground is still very unstable and entering the area at this time is extremely dangerous.”

A landslide has swept away more than 400 metres of Dorset's World Heritage coastline. via BRMB 96.4 FM

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“There is a compelling case for us to act now rather than risk the future health of young people”

LONDONCome next year, smoking a joint in Britain might not seem so funny anymore. via The Toronto Star

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“We are already working closely with Boris Johnson and his team to improve safety and security on the transport network. "I am sure that cutting out boozing on public transport will be welcomed by our passengers and staff.”

Commuters pass through ticket barriers as London's new mayor Boris Johnson speaks with journalists at High Street Kensington Tube station in London yesterday LONDON: Alcohol will be banned on the Tube and buses ... via Gulf Times

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