All posts tagged: British

Coachella Favorite PinkPantheress Is Shaping a New British Wave

Coachella Favorite PinkPantheress Is Shaping a New British Wave

Published by Sam Flores

Alongside artists like RAYE, Olivia Dean, and Charli xcx, PinkPanthress is part of a new class of British musicians finding global traction by leaning further into their sound, instead of smoothing it out. “There’s definitely a raw spirit that the UK brings,” she says, calling ahead of a show in Vancouver. “I don’t really know how or why…but we tend to be more from the heart.” Vanity Fair: You’ve gone straight from a show in Mexico City into Weekend 1 of Coachella and back on tour. What’s that run been like so far? PinkPantheress: It’s been pretty hectic, but I’ve enjoyed every aspect of it. I really enjoy performing these days, so it’s been incredible being able to play like that. You’ve created a really immersive, almost cinematic show on tour, with characters like DJ Joe and backup dancers called Pinkettes. How do things change when you bring it to a festival like Coachella? When I got booked for Coachella, I realised there’d be fans there. But I’d guess maybe less than 50% of the …

British man accused of leading al Shabaab terrorist fighters in Somalia appears in court | UK News

British man accused of leading al Shabaab terrorist fighters in Somalia appears in court | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

A Briton has appeared in court accused of leading a group of fighters from the al Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia. Prosecutors allege Jermaine Grant, who was born in London, joined al Shabaab commando training camps, becoming a platoon leader and taking part in battles in Somalia. The 43-year-old is charged with directing the activities of al Shabaab between December 2007 and January 2010. He is also accused of two counts of possessing an AK-47 assault rifle for terrorist purposes and three counts of attending one of the group’s training camps within a similar timeframe. He attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court via videolink from HMP Frankland on Thursday, but did not enter pleas. District judge Hina Rai said Grant’s case was “too serious” to be dealt with by a magistrates’ court, and remanded him into custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 1 May. Al Shabaab, which has been linked to al Qaeda, was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK in March 2010 over its violent campaign “employing a range of terrorist tactics …

From An Education to Beef: How Carey Mulligan became the quiet force of British acting

From An Education to Beef: How Carey Mulligan became the quiet force of British acting

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Wait a minute – is that… Carey Mulligan? This great Bafta-winning British actress is the queen of containment. Think of her quietly heartbroken Kathy H in Never Let Me Go (2010), cloned and reared to donate her organs and die young like all of her friends, in the adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel. Or her slow, sinister rendition of “New York, New York” in Steve McQueen’s Shame (2011) – unbearable. For two decades, Mulligan has concentrated not on the grand gesture but on what is withheld. But in season two of Netflix’s darkly comic Beef, the dam finally breaks. In one scene, her character, pushed to the brink, defends her dachshund from a snarling coyote, body-slamming it to its death in a paroxysm of white-hot fury. It feels like we’ve been building towards this – all those years of simmering emotion, …

From Princess Diana and John Travolta to Queen Elizabeth and Eisenhower: A History of British Royals Visiting the White House

From Princess Diana and John Travolta to Queen Elizabeth and Eisenhower: A History of British Royals Visiting the White House

Published by Sam Flores

The Reagans and the Windsors got on like a house on fire. Both President Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth were enthusiastic equestrians, and photos of the duo riding horses during a stay at Windsor Castle were PR gold. The next year, the Reagans invited the Queen and Prince Philip to stay at Rancho del Cielo, their California retreat known as the “Western White House.” The trip did not go totally according to plan. “The ranch was shrouded with fog, causing the Reagans to apologize profusely that the weather had not only washed out the ride on horseback but obliterated the panoramic views,” Bedell Smith writes in Elizabeth the Queen. “‘Don’t be silly,’ replied the Queen. ‘This is an adventure!’ The foursome dined on Tex-Mex fare, including tacos, enchiladas, and refried beans. ‘Mr. Deaver,’ the Queen said afterward. ‘That was so enjoyable, especially the used beans.’” One member of the royal family was not so enamored with the Reagans. According to Kitty Kelly, Princess Diana found them boring and vulgar. But she was all charm on …

What secret report reveals about British nuclear weapons tests – veterans claimed they were harmed by the fallout

What secret report reveals about British nuclear weapons tests – veterans claimed they were harmed by the fallout

Published by skeptic

“The Ministry of Defence has always maintained that it never rained,” said Ken McGinley, founder of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA). “I’m sorry, you’re liars … I was there!” McGinley, who was a royal engineer, gave this interview in January 2024, shortly before his death, as part of our Oral History of British Nuclear Test Veterans project. McGinley was present during the Grapple nuclear weapons test series, conducted by the UK on the central Pacific island of Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island) in the late 1950s. At the time, this remote atoll was inhabited by 250 villagers as well as thousands of British servicemen. For decades, many of those present during this and other above-ground British nuclear weapons tests have argued they were harmed by radioactive fallout. McGinley founded the BNTVA in 1983 to “gain recognition and restitution” for the veterans who took part in British and American nuclear tests and clean-ups between 1952 and 1965. British royal engineers build a runway during construction of the British military base on Kiritimati, November …

American Music Awards nominations: Taylor Swift leads as British artists make their mark

American Music Awards nominations: Taylor Swift leads as British artists make their mark

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Taylor Swift leads the nominations for this year’s American Music Awards (AMAs) with eight nods. The 36-year-old is in contention for major awards, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for her 12th studio album, The Life Of A Showgirl, released last October, and Song of the Year for her lead single, The Fate Of Ophelia. Swift, who holds the record for most AMA wins with 40, also received nods for Best Pop Album, Best Music Video, Song of the Summer, Best Pop Song, and Best Female Pop Artist. Taylor Swift is the most successful artist in AMA history (Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott) Country star Morgan Wallen, US pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter, New York-born singer Sombr, and British artist Olivia Dean each garnered seven nominations. Dean is the most nominated British act, having won four Brit Awards this year. Dean …

Autonomous robo-taxis now driving themselves on British streets | Science, Climate & Tech News

Autonomous robo-taxis now driving themselves on British streets | Science, Climate & Tech News

Published by skeptic

Autonomous taxis are now driving themselves around London streets, the American company behind the technology has announced. The self-driving cars have been in the capital since last autumn, but until now, they were under the manual control of “safety drivers”. Now, Waymo says, they’re being controlled by artificial intelligence, albeit with a human sitting in the driver’s seat just in case. Image: A Waymo car drives itself through London. Pic: Waymo The company has had humans driving the cars across “tens of thousands of miles on London roads”. “The early mileage provides a baseline of context for the Waymo Driver, and has enabled our team to train the Driver in a simulated London environment,” it said. Image: A Waymo car navigates past a cyclist. Pic: Waymo Within the “past few weeks”, however, the company told Sky News it had started letting the cars take control. When can I order a ride in a robo-taxi? Waymo described today’s announcement as “the next step” towards “fully autonomous passenger service[s] later this year, pending government approval”. Image: Waymo …

British Gas sent me a £571 bill for a flat I’ve never owned or lived in | Consumer affairs

British Gas sent me a £571 bill for a flat I’ve never owned or lived in | Consumer affairs

Published by Sam Flores

British Gas opened an account in my name for an address that I have never occupied, and sent me a £571 bill. It declined to open a complaint because I “refused” to provide a tenancy agreement or mortgage statement which, since I’ve long since paid off my mortgage, I don’t have. It is now threatening me with a debt collection agency. IW, Northampton Your house is supplied by Octopus and you have no connection with the flat along the road that British Gas has conjured you into. British Gas’s stance was that if you can’t prove you don’t live there, then you surely do. It ignored the bank statements you sent as evidence, and it never thought to question the competence of the tracing agent it uses to locate debtors. Because your address is similar to the indebted flat, the tracing agents plumped for you when there was no response to bills sent to the supply address. British Gas only investigated when I got involved. It has now belatedly apologised and removed you from its …

Much-loved British sweet treat to finally launch in US after shoutout from Olivia Rodrigo

Much-loved British sweet treat to finally launch in US after shoutout from Olivia Rodrigo

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Colin the Caterpillar, the British national treasure that has been a staple sweet treat at UK birthday parties since 1990, will arrive in the US at long last. Candies based on the iconic caterpillar-shaped character will be sold across nationwide Target stores as British grocery store M&S continues its partnership with the retailer. For his U.S. debut, Colin will be sold in three gummy varieties: classic fruit-flavored sweets, tangy sours and soft, foam-style treats. The cheeky character is one of the much-loved cult items from popular retailer M&S, and he has acquired an A-list following in the process, with stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry all said to be fans. Singer Rodrigo gave a shoutout to Colin while onstage at the …

Dame Prue Leith reveals true feelings on Nigella Lawson joining Great British Bake Off

Dame Prue Leith reveals true feelings on Nigella Lawson joining Great British Bake Off

Published by Sam Flores

Dame Prue Leith doesn’t think Great British Bake Off producers could have found a “better” replacement than Nigella Lawson. The 86-year-old star announced in January that she was stepping down as Paul Hollywood’s fellow judge on the Channel 4 baking competition, and food writer Nigella, 66, will be taking over inside the iconic tent. Reflecting on the decision, Dame Prue told HELLO! magazine: “I don’t think they could have chosen a better person. I don’t know her well, but what I know of her is all good.” Dame Prue previously insisted while Nigella will “be very different” as a judge, she is backing her to be a success. She told the Daily Star newspaper: “But she’s a class act, she really knows what she’s doing. “She knows her onions – people will expect her to know about cake, which she certainly does, but what they won’t expect is how clever she is, how sharp, witty – she’s really erudite. “She’s a fantastically clever woman.” However, she insisted Paul Hollywood could easily have continued as a …