United Kingdom

Britain’s smaller opposition Liberal Democrats were to crown their new chief on Thursday after a leadership contest dogged by scandals involving alcoholism, gay chat lines and male prostitutes. Bookmakers reckoned acting leader Menzies Campbell was just ahead of economics spokesperson Chris Huhne with party president Simon Hughes trailing in the race to lead Britain’s third-biggest party.

A British Chinook helicopter, which has seen action in the Falklands War, Afghanistan and Iraq, was taken out of action after a head-on smash-up with a pigeon, the Royal Air Force said on Wednesday. The 10-tonne chopper was forced into an emergency landing.

Arsenal lost 1-0 at Blackburn on Saturday to slip to sixth in the English Premier League and dent their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Also on Saturday, Chelsea beat Portsmouth 2-0 on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of the English Premier League to 15 points.

Three people have been arrested in connection with one of Britain’s biggest robberies, police said on Friday, after they recovered three of the getaway vehicles. A group of thieves made off with up to £50-million from a cash depot in the small market town of Tonbridge, south-east of London.

Gary Neville hit back at the Football Association after being fined £5 000 pounds and warned about his future conduct following
his over the top celebrations at Manchester United’s late winner against Liverpool last month.

Thierry Henry scored in Arsenal’s 1-0 upset win at Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, while AC Milan ended Bayern Munich’s 15-match winning streak at home with a 1-1 draw. Europe’s top club competition resumed after a two-and-a-half month break this week with the first leg of the opening knockout round.

A health and safety meeting in a British factory building turned unexpectedly realistic on Tuesday when a floor suddenly collapsed, injuring four of the 21 participants. Firefighters were summoned to the Hyde Buildings in Manchester, northwest England, when the floor collapsed just as the assembled health and safety officers were discussing evacuation procedures.

A man trying to walk the length of Britain wearing nothing but a hat, boots and a rucksack completed his marathon trek on Monday and celebrated by putting his clothes back. ”It’s nice to get warmed up again,” self-styled ”Naked Rambler” Stephen Gough (46) said.

Peter Crouch’s goal gave Liverpool their first win in the FA Cup against Manchester United for 85 years as Rafael Benitez’s men advanced into the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory at Anfield on Saturday. Also, Newcastle saw off Championship side Southampton 1-0 and Charlton ended Brentford’s Cup run with a 3-1 win.

There’s a lizard on the loose in peaceful Cambridgeshire, a 1,2m black and white Argentinian tegu lizard that goes by the name of Gonzo. "I suspect anyone coming across him will be terrified," said Gonzo’s owner James Burfield (22) who suspects the reptile escaped last Saturday after the family dog pushed open the door of its tank when no one was looking.

Rockers the Kaiser Chiefs — named after South Africa’s champion soccer side — had a riot at the annual Brit Awards on Wednesday night, picking up a hat-trick of prizes at the biggest and most prestigious night of the country’s music calendar. James Blunt beat off competition from Robbie Williams to bag best British male solo artist.

Glorification of terrorism will become a crime in the United Kingdom now that Parliament has backed Prime Minister Tony Blair’s version of a key part of a new anti-terror law prompted by the July bombings in London. Blair said banning glorification of terrorism is essential in order to crack down on radical Islamists.

A local British police chief who advised shopkeepers in his area not to ”bother to report” shoplifting crimes involving goods valued at less than £75 (about R800) has been criticised by his superiors, who apologised for his ”mistake”. Outraged local shopkeepers took the matter up with their MP.

Steve Fossett piloted his Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer aircraft over Saudi Arabia on Thursday, after a ”bit scary” takeoff on his solo bid to set a world record for the longest flight. The 61-year-old United States aviator continued steadily eastward across northern Africa on his estimated 80-hour flight after hitting two birds during takeoff.

Chelsea kept their dreams of a treble-winning season alive by booking their place in the last 16 of the FA Cup with a 4-1 fourth-round replay win at home to Premiership rivals Everton in London on Wednesday. Chelsea were 3-0 up at half-time with Dutch winger Arjen Robben putting the English champions ahead.

Birmingham beat Reading 2-1 to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday, winning on a 67th-minute goal by Julian Gray. Preston beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in the other fourth-round replay with two goals by Daniele Dichio, including the winner in the 88th minute.

A hapless visitor who accidentally smashed a set of rare 300-year-old Chinese vases at a British museum after tripping up on his shoelaces said on Monday he has been banned from returning. The 42-year-old tripped as he came down a flight of stairs, causing the £100 000 (about R1,07-million) mishap.

British motorists made claims last year for everything from a frozen squirrel crashing through a car windshield to a cow jumping on a quad bike, an insurance company said on Monday. Freak accidents involving animals topped the list of odd excuses for motor insurance claims with food-related mishaps in second place.

Two complete strangers will get married in Britain later on Monday after winning the chance to tie the knot in a radio station competition that has drawn anger from religious leaders. Craig Cooper will meet his bride Rebecca Duffy for the first time at the start of the ceremony organised by commercial station BRMB, based in Birmingham in west central England.