A public petition for the British government not to go through with Brexit gained so many signatures that the Parliament website crashed on Thursday.
“We're very sorry that the site is still experiencing problems. We are working urgently to get it back up and running as soon as possible,” the Parliament's petitions committee said in a tweet.
The petition called for Prime Minister Theresa May to revoke Article 50 and keep the UK in the European Union. Article 50 is a statute in European law that begins a withdrawal process from the international bloc. For the first time ever, The article was invoked by the UK on March 29, 2017, less than a year after voters chose to leave.
The petitions committee said that between 80,000 and 100,000 people have been simultaneously viewing the petition and nearly 2,000 signatures are being submitted every minute.
The total number of signatures surpassed 1 million before the site crashed Thursday afternoon local time, according to the BBC. Throughout the day, #RevokeA50Now was trending on Twitter and anti-Brexit lawmakers in Parliament were urging constituents to continue the petition campaign, once the site is back up.
The petition was signed by prominent supporters of the “remain” side of the debate, such as actor Hugh Grant and signer Annie Lennox.
“Worth a shot...” Game of Thrones actor Daniel Portman said on Twitter as he urged his followers to sign.
The site crashed as Prime Minister May was in Brussels trying to persuade European officials to delay the UK’s withdrawal beyond the March 29 deadline.
The request came after the British Parliament rejected yet another Brexit proposal last week, setting the stage for the UK to leave the EU without a formal agreement.
Brian Stewart, the U.S. brand ambassador for Belvedere Vodka, joined Cheddar News to show off the cocktail called the Belvedere Raspberry Circuit to pair with the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, a race getting underway for the very first time on May 8. “I wanted this drink to be very approachable, but I also wanted to drink to be as luxurious and exciting as the race itself," he said.
The U.S. Army has offered an Italian woman a birthday cake to replace the one that U.S. soldiers ate as they entered her hometown during one of the final battles of World War II. Meri Mion turns 90 on Friday.
DeNora Getachew, CEO of DoSomething.org, joins ChedHer to share how DoSomething.org is providing an opportunity for younger generations to make their voices heard by volunteering and advocating for social change.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 29, 2022, with President Biden asking Congress for a $33 billion aid package for Ukraine, a shrinking GDP potentially leading to a recession, Beijing banning weddings and funerals while closings schools amid COVID, and more.
Alexandra Rutkay, a participant for Cycle for Survival, joins Cheddar News to discuss the movement and raising money for research to beat rare cancers.
President Biden requests $33 Billion for Ukraine, menthol cigarettes' time could be numbered, and The U.S. Post Office gets sued to go green. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Friday, April 29, 2022.
Buying a new home is tough right now; but for first-time buyers, it's an especially challenging time, with obstacles like rising mortgage rates and record-breaking home prices. The housing market is not expected to get much friendlier, as mortgage rates are expected to continue to climb as the Federal Reserve proceeds with its plans for rate hikes in an effort to stifle inflation. Jonathan Miller, President and CEO of real estate appraiser Miller Samuel, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Virtual care and digital medicine provider Biofourmis recently raised $300 million in a Series D round led by General Atlantic and with participation from CVS Health. Biofourmis offers at-home care and digital therapies backed by artificial intelligence, which can remotely monitor patients while they are at home. The company says it hopes its technology can improve patient outcomes while reducing the cost and burden of care. Kuldeep Signh Rajput, Founder and CEO of Biofourmis, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
