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☆ Russian troops still build battlefield defenses like they did in World War II, and it's one of their rare successes in Ukraine, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russian troops have spent the past several months constructing intricate fortifications in Ukraine. Ukrainian troops now have the tough task of fighting their way through those trenches and barriers. Current Russian fortification doctrine has seen "little methodological change" since the Cold War, according to the RUSI report. BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty ImagesClearing minefields is difficult because Russian mines have multiple triggers and anti-tampering devices. In addition, Russia did not sign the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines, which has allowed its forces to "freely utilize victim-initiated" anti-personnel mines, RUSI said.

Persons: —, Doce, BEN STANSALL, Ukraine isn't, Dominika Zarzycka, RUSI, Obama, Trump, Biden, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Red Army, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Technologies, Russian, REUTERS, Bradley, Getty, US, Pentagon, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Stalingrad, Velyka Blahovischenka, Kherson Oblast, Russia, Luhansk, Crimea, Posad, Kherson, Ukrainian, England, AFP, Russian, Finland, Nemishaieve, Bucha, Ottawa, North, South Korea, Forbes

☆ Stonehenge-like 4,000-year-old sanctuary discovered in Netherlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] An illustration shows what the researchers believe is the 4,000-year-old Stonehenge-like sanctuary that archaeologists have discovered in Tiel, a town in the centre of the Netherlands, in this handout picture obtained on June 21, 2023. Municipality of Tiel/Handout via REUTERSAMSTERDAM, June 21 (Reuters) - Archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old sanctuary made up of ditches and burial mounds in the central Netherlands that they believe may have served a similar purpose to Stonehenge. While excavating the site in 2017, archaeologists also discovered several graves. The archaeologists took six years to research more than a million excavated objects dating from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages. Some of the discoveries will be showcased in a local museum in Tiel and in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities.

Persons: Charlotte Van Campenhout, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Dutch National Museum of Antiquities, Thomson Locations: Tiel, Netherlands, Handout, REUTERS AMSTERDAM, England, Rotterdam, Iraq, Roman

Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERSLONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday his plan to stop migrants arriving in small boats had reduced crossings by 20%, an update he hopes will ease criticism from his party and in the country over immigration policy. "In the five months since I launched the plan, crossings are now down 20% compared to last year," Sunak told a news conference in southern England. "The plan is working," he said, adding his government was not complacent and would work hard to make sure parliament passed a new law. Sunak urged parliament to pass his new Illegal Migration Bill, which will allow for the swift detention and deportation of people arriving on small boats back to their homeland or to so-called safe third countries such as Rwanda. Reporting by Sarah Young, writing by Farouq Suleiman and Elizabeth Piper; editing by Kate Holton and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Yui Mok, Sunak, Sarah Young, Farouq Suleiman, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Holton, Nick Macfie Organizations: Western Jet, REUTERS LONDON, British, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: Dover, Britain, England, Albania, London, Rwanda

☆ Northern Lights Are Seen in Places Where They Normally Aren’t
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The sky over an unusually wide swath of the northern hemisphere lit up with a brilliant display of color overnight into Monday morning, dazzling people across North America and Europe. The display was potentially visible as far south as Iowa in the United States, as well as in parts of southern England, scientists said. The phenomena, known as the aurora borealis or northern lights, occurs when particles emitted by the sun collide with particles that are already trapped around Earth’s magnetic field, and can often be seen from parts of Iceland, Canada and Alaska. But on Friday, the sun let off a large burst of energy, said Robert Steenburgh, a space scientist with the Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (These bursts are also known as coronal mass ejections.)

☆ Len Goodman, former ‘Dancing With the Stars’ judge, dead at 78
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Toyin Owoseje | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former “Dancing With the Stars” judge Len Goodman has died at age 78. Len Goodman on the "Dancing With the Stars" judging panel, alongside Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty ImagesGoodman was born in London in 1944. According to his website, he started dancing at age 19 and was a professional dancer before venturing into TV. Goodman served as head judge on BBC dance series “Strictly Come Dancing” – the British version of DWTS – from its inception in 2004, and made his final appearance on the 2016 Christmas Day special. He also wrote several books, including his 2009 autobiography “Better Late Than Never: From Barrow Boy to Ballroom,” “Dancing Around Britain” and “Lost London.”

☆ Mary Quant, designer who epitomized Swinging 60s, dies at 93
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Mary Quant, the visionary fashion designer whose colorful, sexy miniskirts epitomized Swinging London in the 1960s has died at 93. Mary Quant, the visionary fashion designer whose colorful, sexy miniskirts epitomized Swinging London in the 1960s and influenced youth culture around the world, has died. "She was the right person with the right sensibility in the right place at the right time. Quant was also credited with introducing hot pants and micro-minis to the fashion scene in the late 1960s. Quant stepped down from the day-to-day management of her firm, Mary Quant Ltd., in 2000 after it was purchased by a Japanese company, but kept working as a consultant.

☆ Energy firms lose UK legal challenge over sale of collapsed rival Bulb
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A British Gas sign is seen outside its offices in Staines in southern England, July 31, 2014. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File PhotoLONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - Centrica's British Gas, Scottish Power and E.ON on Friday lost a court challenge over the British government’s handling of the sale of collapsed energy firm Bulb. The three other energy suppliers had argued the government had unlawfully committed billions of pounds of taxpayers' money to prop up Bulb, without considering the potential impact on the wider energy market. "It's clear that the case was a desperate attempt by those organisations to defend their waning market positions against a more efficient and customer-focused rival," Octopus Energy said in a statement. The addition of Bulb's customers catapulted Octopus to become the country's third largest domestic energy supplier behind British Gas and E.ON.

☆ Perenco UK says 60% of oil spill in southern England recovered
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] General view of Poole Harbour after about 200 barrels of reservoir fluid leaked into the water in Dorset, Britain, March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Peter CziborraMarch 29 (Reuters) - Anglo-French oil company Perenco's UK unit said on Wednesday it had recovered about 60% of the estimated oil leaked on Sunday at one of its well sites in Wytch Farm in Dorset, southern England. The location of the leak was identified and operations at Wytch Farm remain suspended, the company said in a statement. Perenco UK said it was investigating the cause of the spill, in consultation with the environment agency and local authorities. Perenco UK produces about 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, with Wytch Farm accounting for about 14,000 barrels.

☆ Perenco UK says oil leak occurred at well site in Southern England
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 26 (Reuters) - Anglo-French oil company Perenco's UK unit said on Sunday that a limited oil leak occurred at one of its well sites in Wytch Farm in Dorset, southern England. Perenco UK said the spill was being contained and an investigation will be launched. BBC reported that a major incident was declared after about 200 barrels of reservoir fluid leaked into the water at Poole Harbour. Perenco UK produces about 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, of which about 14,000 barrels is from Wytch Farm. Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) has activated an oil spill plan and the pipeline had been shut down, with booms placed on either side of the leak, BBC said.

[1/5] A general view of Highclere Castle, the stately home known around the world as the venue for "Downton Abbey", in Highclere, Britain, March 10, 2023. Highclere Castle in southern England, where the early 20th century period drama about the lives of aristocrats and their servants was filmed, is facing a serious staffing crunch. "We have stopped being able to offer any weddings of any substantial size because of Brexit," Carnarvon, a countess who owns Highclere with her husband, the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, said. Since leaving the European Union, Britain has faced worker shortages at various stages in areas such as manufacturing, construction and logistics. 'WRAPPED IN RED TAPE'Just outside Highclere Castle, in the grounds designed by 18th century landscape architect Capability Brown, dozens of chairs and a few tables lie stacked and unused.

Ties which have often been rocky since Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016 have been fortified by the countries' support for Ukraine since Russia's invasion. "The partnership the UK and France share runs deep," Sunak said on Twitter. "From tackling illegal migration to driving growth in our economies to defending our common security, when we work together we all benefit. The Times newspaper said he would announce Britain was providing funding to France to invest in police, security and intelligence. The payments were expected to exceed 200 million pounds over three years, the report said, citing unnamed sources.

☆ Guns N' Roses and Arctic Monkeys to headline Glastonbury along with Elton John
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Sumaya HishamLONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - Guns N' Roses and Arctic Monkeys will join Elton John as headliners at the Glastonbury Festival in June, organisers said on Friday, drawing attention to the largely male line-up of its biggest performers this year. The festival's official poster gave U.S. rapper Lizzo joint headline billing but she was the lone, high-profile female performer among the main acts this year. Paul McCartney, 80, played last year's Glastonbury, as the festival returned from a three-year absence due to the coronavirus pandemic. While English rock act Arctic Monkeys will be making their third appearance as headliners at Glastonbury following the release of a new album in October, it will be the first time for American rock legends Guns N' Roses, who will be touring Europe in June. Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by Paul Sandle and William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A Second World War Coastguard lookout on the White Cliffs of Dover is on sale for $1.5 million. Take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

This former Coastguard lookout used during the First and Second World Wars could be yours for $1.5 million. Marshall & ClarkeBluebirds, a former Coastguard lookout, has just gone on the market for £1.25 million, or about $1.5 million. The property, listed by Marshall & Clarke, is located on the White Cliffs of Dover, overlooking the English Channel in southern England. The lookout played a significant part in the UK's defence during the Second World War because of its proximity to "Hellfire Corner," which was central to the Battle of Britain, per the listing.

☆ 'No magic wand' in Ukraine war, says UK's Wallace on question of supplying jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PORTSMOUTH, England, Feb 2 (Reuters) - British defence minister Ben Wallace said there was "no magic wand" that could help Ukraine in its fight against Russia, when asked on Thursday about the possibility of supplying British fighter jets to be used by Ukrainian forces. "There is no magic wand in this horrendous conflict," Wallace told reporters at Portsmouth in southern England, home to a naval base. Earlier on Thursday, Sunak's spokesman said the quickest a pilot could learn to fly a British fighter jet was 35 months. "Even if tomorrow morning we announce that we were going to put them in fast jets, that would take months," Wallace said. On Wednesday, Wallace said Britain had not made a "solid decision" not to send its fighter jets to Ukraine but does not think it is the right approach at the moment.

The National Education Union (NEU), which is organising the teachers' strikes, has asked for an above-inflation pay award funded fully by the government, so that schools can also cover other costs, from stationery to textbooks. With inflation reaching double digits last year, teachers have seen a 23% real-terms pay cut since 2010, the union says. Heighington, who teaches music, said more than a third of experienced full-time teachers and teaching staff had left his school last year. Educators say schools having to pay teachers' salaries from their own pocket has left classrooms starved of money for textbooks, IT upgrades and school trips. Reports say teachers at the elite Winchester College in southern England, where Sunak attended school and was a head boy, are among those striking on Wednesday.

☆ Spaceport boss says it's challenging being a successful woman in the space industry as some people exclude her from conversations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Melissa Thorpe, a Spaceport boss, spoke about the criticism she gets as a woman in the space sector. The space industry is male-dominated, but Thorpe said she's questioning how things are done. Thorpe said she didn't get into the space industry in the traditional way. One out of 5 space industry workers are womenThorpe's seven-day job not only involves running the spaceport, but also going to conferences, traveling, and meeting with clients in different time zones. The United Nations reported in October 2021 that around one in five workers in the space industry are women.

☆ 2023 McLaren Artura: Run Silent, Run Lean
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Dan Neil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DAY The 2023 McLaren Artura ($263,550, as tested), first in a series of new cars promised by the British house of speed, is built on the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) structure and powered by plug-in hybridized V6s. The Artura’s twin-turbo, 3.0-liter V6 and axial-flux e-motor join forces to produce a maximum 671 hp/531 lb-ft.LAST WEEK, for the first time this winter, it snowed in Woking, in southern England. At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, the artificial lake in front of the McLaren Technology Centre was steaming and fringed with ice, the cattails frozen stiff. Groundskeepers were out spreading more grit on the campus roadways—a reasonable precaution, as McLarens aren’t generally hailed for their all-weather traction. There—warm, dry and defrosted—waited our test car, a McLaren Artura, frocked in a glittery, wintry white.

☆ UK must review decision to block UK-France power cable project - court ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Britain must review its refusal to grant development consent for a high-voltage undersea power cable project linking Britain and France, London's High Court ruled on Tuesday. A government spokesperson said: "The UK Government is disappointed by the outcome but we will be considering the judgment carefully before deciding next steps." After requesting further information, Kwarteng last year decided that Aquind had given "insufficient consideration" to an alternative connection point in Dorset in southern England, which Aquind had previously rejected. However, the High Court ruled that it was "irrational" for Kwarteng to refuse Aquind’s application without making further inquiries about the feasibility of the location in Dorset. Reporting by Sam Tobin and Elizabeth Piper, editing by William James, Ed Osmond and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spaceport locals say rocket launch by billionaire Richard Branson boosted their farming community and put the area on the map
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Virgin Orbit's rocket broke down, but residents said the launch will put Cornwall on the map. Kate Duffy/InsiderSue and Paul Nuttall, who were looking to retire soon, told Insider that Virgin Orbit's launch was needed to put Cornwall, a farming county, on the map. Hosting Virgin Orbit's launch will hopefully keep children like Seth who are interested in space in Cornwall, Emma said. Virgin Orbit's mission was set to be the UK's first orbital space launch from UK soil. In a press conference on Sunday, Melissa Thorpe, head of Spaceport Cornwall, said she hopes residents feel proud of Cornwall "going to the stars."

☆ Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit says its rocket suffered an 'anomaly,' stopping it from taking 9 satellites to orbit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Virgin Orbit said it has experienced an "anomaly" with its rocket during a UK space mission. The "Start Me Up" satellite mission was scheduled for Monday from Spaceport Cornwall at Cornwall Airport Newquay in southern England. About half an hour later, Virgin Orbit tweeted: "We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. Richard Branson's company previously wrote on Twitter that its LauncherOne rocket had successfully reached orbit, but later tweeted that didn't happen and it would remove the post. Matt Archer, commercial space director at the UK Space Agency, told reporters on Monday that he was "disappointed, but proud of what we've achieved."

☆ Virgin Orbit just launched a rocket that failed to reach orbit. Take a look at what happened.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

When the rocket is released from Cosmic Girl at an altitude of 35,000 feet, its engines are designed to accelerate it into orbit. But this didn't happen on Monday at Spaceport Cornwall in southern England. A general view of Cosmic Girl, a repurposed Boeing 747 aircraft carrying the LauncherOne rocket under its left wing, as final preparations are made at Cornwall Airport Newquay on January 9, 2023 in Newquay, United Kingdom. Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

☆ Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit is set to launch the first orbital rocket from UK soil on Monday. Watch live as the rocket drops from a Boeing 747.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit is set to launch the first orbital space rocket from British soil. Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart said the crew will proceed cautiously in case winds or lightning set in. Watch the historic rocket launch live on Virgin Orbit's YouTube page below. Livestream: Watch Virgin Orbit's Cosmic Girl take off and release the rocketWatch the historical rocket launch live on Virgin Orbit's YouTube livestream below, starting at 4:30 p.m. Cosmic Girl, a repurposed Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 aircraft, is expected to take off from Spaceport Cornwall between 5:16 p.m.

☆ Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit gets green light for first orbital space launch from UK — and will use a repurposed Boeing 747 for the mission
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit gained a license for the first orbital space launch from the UK. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK's space regulator, announced in a statement on Wednesday that Virgin Orbit was permitted to launch from Spaceport Cornwall in southern England. Issuing the final license to Virgin Orbit for the UK's first orbital satellite launch was another "major milestone," the CAA said in the statement. Virgin Orbit didn't respond to Insider's request for comment about the new launch date. Virgin Orbit has named the mission "Start Me Up" after a song by The Rolling Stones.

☆ Ukraine's heavy artillery, not high-tech anti-tank missiles, is what stopped Russia's rush to Kyiv, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Coverage of the fighting often focused on the role of anti-tank missiles in stopping that advance. Many people believe the initial Russian offensive was halted in large part by Ukraine's diverse arsenal of anti-tank missiles. This was enough to pin down Russian armor, hit targets of opportunity, and engage Russian tanks from beyond the range their cannons. However, "delivering large volumes of fire against concentrated units is best achieved by artillery," Watling said. Many Russian tanks — and Ukrainian tanks, which are upgraded Soviet-era designs — are designed to fire anti-tank guided missiles from their cannons.

☆ Rail passenger paid $720 for return ticket but the train cancelled 2 minutes after departure, making his trip 10 hours long
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A train passenger who spent $720 on a ticket has criticized the rail firm for cancellations and delays. He said Avanti West Coast cancelled one of the trains two minutes after the departure time. But the Avanti train was cancelled two minutes after the expected departure time. Gateau said he ended up taking a train north via Manchester for another Avanti train, which departed late. Le Gateau told Insider he "absolutely would" because "the ticket was just shy of £600."

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