United Kingdom

The holder of a British lottery ticket worth nearly £10-million (about R109-million) lost it all on Monday, when the six-month deadline for claiming the winnings expired. Most likely, the unlucky winner, from Doncaster in South Yorkshire in northern England, simply forgot to check the ticket.

The hours may be too long to be legal, and the stress is like no other job in politics, but being Britain’s Prime Minister has its rewards, Tony Blair is telling visitors to his official website. In a show of candor for the public that re-elected his Labour Party to a third straight term last year, Downing Street has put together a ”day in the life of Tony” film.

A woman rushed to hospital with tummy trouble, fearing she had eaten a dodgy kebab, was shocked to give birth instead, a British newspaper reported on Friday. Helen Smitham (25) of Distington in northwest England, had no idea she was pregnant when she complained of feeling a bit rough — with an iffy kebab thought to blame.

Britain is preparing to launch a crackdown on prostitution in the New Year because the trade harms communities and supports drug dealers and abusers, the Home Office said on Wednesday. A prostitutes’ group warned, however, that the new zero-tolerance campaign would put the girls and women involved in even greater danger by pushing the industry further underground.

British diplomats secretly discussed the idea of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussen undergoing a back operation in Britain 30 years ago, official files released on Thursday showed. When the notion was floated in 1975, Saddam was considered a key figure in the Arab world worth courting and not the international pariah he later became.

All Black great Jonah Lomu scored his first try for Cardiff as they crushed Welsh rivals Newport-Gwent Dragons 41-23 in their Celtic League clash at the Arms Park on Tuesday. The giant New Zealand wing crossed the Dragons’ line in the first minute of the second-half, scoring in his third appearance for the Welsh capital side.

A British man is giving a whole new meaning to begging to be loved as he set off on Monday on an 88,5km crawl on his hands and knees to find a partner — with a sign saying "Could you love me?" strapped to his back and 18 boxes of chocolates trailing behind him on string tied to his wrists and ankles.

London is turning into "Londongrad" for a growing number of Russia’s nouveau riche who see the British capital as a comfortable tax haven. "They buy in the most expensive areas — Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Chelsea, Mayfair, Kensington," said Tatiana Baker, a Russian who deals with these very special clients for upmarket real-estate agents Harrods Estate.

Former South Africa defender Mark Fish confirmed on Wednesday his retirement from football. The 31-year-old left English Premiership side Charlton this week after a lengthy battle with a knee injury, but insisted he is looking forward to life beyond the pitch, which is set to feature work in television, and a return to his home country.

Britain has suspended £5-million of aid to Uganda because of concerns about the country’s political transition leading up to next year’s multiparty elections. But the United Kingdom has also reallocated £15-million to provide humanitarian relief in the north of the country.

Manchester United and Wigan both made it through to the semifinals of the League Cup on Tuesday. United won 3-1 away to Birmingham City, while Wigan beat fellow high-flyers Bolton 2-0, the Latics reaching their first major semifinal in the process. All the goals at St Andrews came in the second half.

Police in London arrested a passenger on a flight from Ethiopia on Tuesday in connection with a failed bid to repeat the July 7 bombings in the British capital, the metropolitan police said. In a brief statement, it said the 23-year-man, who lives in Tottenham, north London, was apprehended at Gatwick airport.

Arsenal’s complaint that they should never have had a goal disallowed before Chelsea opened the scoring in their 2-0 defeat on Sunday has been upheld by the English referees’ chief. Keith Hackett, head of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, said Robin van Persie’s disallowed effort should have stood as a goal.

The 2005 formula one season was a watershed. Fernando Alonso became formula one’s youngest champion at 24, ending seven-time winner Michael Schumacher’s string of five straight season titles. The Spaniard won three of the first four races — and four of the first seven — and then protected the lead. The Renault driver wound up with seven wins, the same as McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen.

The British Father Christmas who lost his Santa of the Year world crown lashed out on Sunday, citing a suspected campaign to stop him from winning again that has damaged "Santa morale". Ron Horniblew (70) is part of the elite international Santa circuit who take part in the Santa Winter Games.

British police said on Sunday they had found a flatbed truck and crane that were apparently used in the theft of a £3-million (,2-million) Henry Moore sculpture from the artist’s estate north of London. The truck and crane, discovered in the area on Saturday night, were filmed by a security video as they took the two-tonne Reclining Figure bronze sculpture from the Henry Moore Foundation estate.

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has for the first time recounted the moment of his capture two years ago in an ”interview” conducted via his lawyer, British newspaper The Sun said on Monday. When captured, the former Iraqi leader had been about to flee the scene by motorbike, the paper said.