Topic: United Kingdom

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Briefing
Chemical weapons 101: Six facts about sarin and Syria’s stockpile

President Obama said Assad's use of chemical weapons would be a 'red line' for US. Did he use sarin or any other chemical weapon against his own people?
4 ways US can boost cyber security

The US needs a proactive cyber foreign policy that goes beyond naming and shaming. Here are four steps the US can take to bolster its diplomatic efforts to address cybersecurity threats.
'A Spoonful of Sugar': 7 stories from a British nanny

From nanny training to her charges' hijinks, Brenda Ashford, Britain's longest-serving nanny, shares her stories in "A Spoonful of Sugar."
International Women's day: 3 challenges women face around the world

Issues such as violence, inequality at work, and traditional expectations confront women on every continent around the world. Here is a sampling of challenges women faced this year:
3 ways you can combat sex trafficking

It is estimated that 27 million slaves are being held worldwide, with the most common form being sexual exploitation of women and girls. What can be done about this global and complex problem? Here are three key ways that you can make a difference.

All Content

Global News Blog Who's really behind 'I'm in love with Margaret Thatcher'?

Thatcher opponents have driven the song 'Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead' to the top of Britain's pop charts. Was the 'retaliatory' promotion of a 1979 punk song fanned by fans - or a good capitalist moment?
Baby mementos: Would you want this hanging from your neck?

Baby mementos vary from parent to parent. What's worth saving? Hair? Teeth? Breast milk processed into a pendant? You can buy a kit for that on Etsy.
Chapter & Verse Haruki Murakami's new novel becomes an instant bestseller in Japan

"Murakami mania" has gripped Japan since the release of Haruki Murakami's new novel, 'Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage' at midnight on Friday. No English translation is yet planned.
Egypt's Copts lash out at government's anti-Christian rhetoric

Egypt's Coptic Church unleashed one of its strongest criticisms ever of the government after back-to-back deadly attacks on Copts that the pope insists were incited by harsh anti-Christian rhetoric.
Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, leaves a mixed legacy on women

Though no feminist, and indeed largely opposed to promoting women even in her own party, Margaret Thatcher nonetheless set a new high-water mark for women in British politics.
Chapter & Verse 'Matilda: The Musical' wins raves for its Broadway opening

The musical adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel has been called 'the most satisfying musical to come out of Britain' and 'the best musical since "The Lion King."'
Africa Monitor Madonna loses VIP status in Malawi

Madonna adopted two children from Malawi and promised to build a school. But she got the cold shoulder on a visit last week – as well as a blistering tirade from a government spokesman.
The Monitor's View: Is an end to war-time rape at a tipping point?

The G8 nations agreed Thursday to a British plan to go after those who rape in war zones, hoping to end this atrocity as a weapon in conflicts. Perhaps this big-power move will mark a historic shift in ending a global problem.
British Euroskeptics claim Thatcher, but was she in their camp? (+video)

Though held up today by British Euroskeptics as an icon, the late prime minister left a legacy in Europe that is not as one-sided as it might at first appear.
Paul McCartney richest musician in Britain

Paul McCartney richest musician in the United Kingdom, says new Rich List. Paul McCartney has been the richest musician on the Sunday Times list for the past 24 years.
Terrorism & Security Foreign ministers struggle to find common ground on Syrian conflict (+video)

Russia has been unmoving in its opposition to stronger action against the Assad regime, putting it at odds with the rest of the G8, meeting today in London, on how to resolve the Syrian conflict.
Kerry makes no further U.S. commitments in Syria

The situation in Syria and the North Korean threats were high on the agenda when G8 leaders gathered in London on Wednesday. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made no further U.S. commitments in Syria, but spoke of the need for the opposition to become better organized.
Energy Voices Paris Marathon captures energy of runners' footsteps

Clean energy was generated from the Paris Marathon thanks to the installation of energy-harvesting tiles, Burgess writes. The tiles are made from recycled truck tires and can generate as much as eight watts of kinetic energy from each footfall.
Global News Blog The Britain that Margaret Thatcher inherited

With remembrances of the late prime minister dominating the press, it is easy to forget the economic woes and issues of identity that gripped Britain in the years preceding her rule.
4 ways US can boost cyber security

The US needs a proactive cyber foreign policy that goes beyond naming and shaming. Here are four steps the US can take to bolster its diplomatic efforts to address cybersecurity threats.
Margaret Thatcher: 'This is no time to go wobbly' and other memorable quotes

A Monitor reporter who briefly overlapped with Margaret Thatcher when he was Paris correspondent recounts her outsized presence at European gatherings.
Energy Voices How North Sea oil helped Margaret Thatcher

While Margaret Thatcher was reforming Britain's economy, new oil discoveries in the North Sea were turning the nation into an energy powerhouse. The surge in resources and employment softened the oil-price shocks of the late 1970s and helped Prime Minister Thatcher pull the country out of economic stagnation.
Culture Cafe Margaret Thatcher: Her portrayals in pop culture

Margaret Thatcher, like other politicians before and after her, has appeared often in movies, TV shows and stage productions. Everyone from Meryl Streep (who received an Oscar for her performance) to Monty Python comedian Michael Palin has portrayed the 'Iron Lady.'
Latin America Monitor Falklands loom large in Argentine view of Thatcher

The former British prime minister's lack of popularity in Argentina has to do with personally ordering the sinking of the Belgrano warship during the 1982 Falklands War, killing 323 Argentines.
Margaret Thatcher: the divisive creator of modern Britain

Though loved and loathed equally in Britain, the former prime minister was undeniably a force for change, breaking the British unions and helping the West win the cold war.
Global News Blog At #Thatcher, no halfhearted tweets on Iron Lady's legacy

The global reaction to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's death displayed the depth of her impact – like it or not.
Were chemical weapons used in Syria? UN team poised for probe.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called for a chemical-weapons investigation of an alleged March 19 attack, but he’s apparently gotten cold feet. Here's why.
Gordon Brown: Girls' empowerment movement is a global game-changer

Girls, not adults, are forming a liberation movement – demanding their rights, especially to education. They've organized child-marriage-free zones, demonstrations to support Malala Yousafzai, petitions against child labor, and a growing movement exposing child trafficking.
The Monitor's View: What made Margaret Thatcher special in her time

Margaret Thatcher's leadership qualities were essential for Britain and the world of the 1980s, but her failings also provide lessons for leaders today.
Margaret Thatcher leaves mixed legacy in Ireland

The late British prime minister's blunt style and politics were not well received in either the Republic or Northern Ireland, which she once famously declared 'as British as Finchley.'