UK

Most Extensive Digital Rights Allows Fans to Watch in More Ways

June 16, 2008 -- With the start of a new six-year agreement between ESPN and the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, U.S. tennis fans will receive nearly 100 hours of Wimbledon: The Championships on ESPN2, plus the most extensive digital rights in Wimbledon history, largely via ESPN360.com, ESPN’s premier broadband service. In addition, Wimbledon programming will be found on ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic, ESPN International and, for the first time, on ESPN Interactive Television.    » read more »

June 16, 2008 -- London -- PRIME MINISTER BROWN: I'm delighted to welcome President Bush and the First Lady back to London. And his visit today is an opportunity to celebrate the historic partnership of shared purpose that unites the United Kingdom and the United States of America. We both share a great love of history and about how we have forged the ideas of democracy and liberty over centuries.

George W. Bush with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown: White House photo by Eric Draper    » read more »

Jun 04, 2008 -- PORTSMOUTH, England — USS Cole (DDG 67) marked the end of a historic foreign navy deployment May 30 as the ship completed Orion '08.

"This is the first deployment of a single U.S. ship with a foreign nation's battle group," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael A. Pfarrer, Cole's executive officer.

The Carrier Strike Group (CSG) was centered on HMS Illustrious, one of England's AV-8 Harrier and helicopter aircraft carriers. Also in the group were several other UK warships and auxiliaries. Spain and France also each contributed one ship to the battle group. Cole and company operated throughout the 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility, conducting training exercises and multiple real-world missions.    » read more »

May 27, 2008 -- Coldplay will play a ten date UK tour in December. The group, whose new album Viva La Vida is released in the UK on June 12, play the following shows.

DECEMBER 1 BIRMINGHAM NIA
2 BIRMINGHAM NIA

5 GLASGOW SECC
6 GLASGOW SECC

7 SHEFFIELD ARENA

10 LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA

11 MANCHESTER M.E.N. ARENA
12 MANCHESTER M.E.N. ARENA

14 LONDON O2 ARENA
15 LONDON 02 ARENA

Tickets go on sale at 9.30am on Friday May 30th.

Tickets are available from gigsandtours.com or ticketmaster.co.uk .    » read more »

May 21, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) held a hearing this morning entitled, “Defense Trade Cooperation with the United Kingdom and Australia.” The Committee heard testimony from John C. Rood, Acting Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs at the State Department.

The full text of Sen. Biden’s opening statement from this morning’s hearing is below:

“Forty years ago, the Arms Export Control Act was enacted to fashion an orderly process for promoting U.S. arms sales while preventing the spread of advanced military technology and equipment to our enemies or to countries that might misuse those exports.    » read more »

Agreement Takes Steps toward Developing Clean Energy and Fighting Climate Change

May 12, 2008 -- MADISON – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Wisconsin on climate change issues.

The agreement, signed by Governor Doyle and Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Minister of Parliament, promotes a working relationship between Wisconsin and the U.K. and builds upon current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote low carbon technologies.    » read more »

May 12, 2008 -- DETROIT - On behalf of Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, Lt. Governor John D. Cherry Jr. today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a top British official that pledges to work jointly to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and increase climate-friendly commerce between Michigan and the United Kingdom.    » read more »

May 9, 2008 -- New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg met with London's newly-elected Mayor Boris Johnson at London's City Hall today to share ideas and strategies on how to run two of the world's largest cities and announce a new exchange program between the cities to share best practices in government innovation.

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg: Photo courtesy NYC Mayor's office

In addition to welcoming any officials from London who wish to meet with their counterparts in New York City, New York officials will travel to London as part of Innovation Exchange to help Mayor Johnson and his administration design and implement initiatives drawn from New York.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- May 7, 2008 -- U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and U.S. Representative Peter King (R-NY), Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, today announced the introduction of the Free Speech Protection Act of 2008.

This bill would protect American journalists from libel suits brought in foreign courts that do not have the same protections for free speech that are found in the U.S. constitution. It mirrors H.R. 5814, legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative King.    » read more »

NATIONAL NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER, Bethesda, Md., April 2, 2008 – Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England saluted a group of wounded Marine combat veterans and the medical care they receive during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly-renovated outpatient housing facility held here today.

Ribbon cutting to mark the official reopening of renovated Mercy Hall on the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.: Defense Department photo by Gerry J. Gilmore

England said he shares Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ concern that it is paramount that injured troops receive the best available medical care.    » read more »

April 2, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement in response to the announcement that the Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, will resign on May 6, 2008.

“Bertie Ahern has been a steady and effective leader of the Irish people. He has been a good friend of America and a good friend personally.

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern banner: Photo by Johnny Hailstones (CC)

His skillful leadership in the search for peace in Northern Ireland was indispensable in finally achieving a successful resolution of that long-standing conflict.    » read more »

01 April 2008 -- Britain's defense secretary has announced plans to reduce troop levels in southern Iraq have been postponed after a recent flare-up of violence around the city of Basra.

Defense Secretary Des Browne told members of parliament that the expected spring homecoming for thousands of British troops based in Basra has been delayed.

"In October we announced our plan from drawing down UK troops from southern Iraq," he said. "In the light of last week's events, however, it is prudent that we pause any further reductions while the current situation has unfolding. It is absolutely right that military commanders review plans when conditions on the ground change."    » read more »

- With highly anticipated return to Latin America expected to follow.
- Tour heralds in first new Queen studio album in 13 Years

19 March 2008 -- With a new album in the pipeline - the first new studio album to carry the Queen name since the Freddie Mercury sessions – Queen is heading back on the road for a four-month tour, once again in the company of musician/singer/songwriter Paul Rodgers who joined the band for the highly successful 2005/2006 world tour, the European leg of which ended with the band’s spectacular London Hyde Park open air concert before going on to play the US and Japan.

In all, the band’s tour was attended by more than a million people.    » read more »

6 March 2008 -- YouTube, the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos, today announced that Sigur Rós will take over both the homepage on the global site and the UK YouTube site tomorrow (Friday March 7th), becoming the first group to ever have a feature-length music DVD streamed on the site, with their acclaimed 'Heima' documentary shown in its complete 97-minute glory. (see youtube.com/sigurros and sigurros.com)    » read more »

LONDON, March 10, 2008 – David Joseph is appointed as the new Chairman/CEO of Universal Music U.K., reporting directly to Universal Music Group International Chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge.

Grainge makes the appointment, which is effective immediately, as Universal Music U.K. builds its 2008 hot streak with this week’s No. 1 album and single, both from A&M/Polydor breakthrough artist Duffy.

Joseph, who was previously co-President of Polydor Records and President of Universal Music Operations, has been with the company for 10 years.    » read more »