United Kingdom

The judge overseeing official inquiries into the deaths of Princess Diana and her lover Dodi al-Fayed in 1997 ruled on Monday that royal officials would not sit on any jury considering how they died. Because Diana was part of the royal family when she died, any jury, according to convention, would usually be made up of members of the royal household.

A former World War II fort in the North Sea, which was settled 40 years ago and declared a state with its own self-proclaimed royal family, is up for sale, the <i>Times</i> said on Monday. The tiny Principality of Sealand, which began life as Roughs Tower in 1941, is a 550 square metre steel platform perched on two concrete towers 11km off the coast of Harwich, eastern England.

Chelsea’s Ghana international Michael Essien was on Friday named the BBC’s African Footballer of the year, carrying off the title with a massive 66% of the vote. The 24-year-old midfielder was named ahead of Mohammed Aboutrika, of Egyptian club side El Ahly, while Essien’s colleague at the English champions, Didier Drogba, of Côte d’Ivoire, came third.

The United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office is investigating ”substantial payments” made by BAE Systems to a senior South African Defence Ministry official who had influence over the controversial arms-deal contract won by the arms company to supply planes at nearly twice the price of a rival bidder, the Guardian reported at the weekend.

England’s Rugby World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson was surprised at being named in his country’s Six Nations training squad but warned his latest injury would likely rule him out of immediate selection. Wilkinson also predicted that England would thrive under new captain Phil Vickery and said recalled utility back Jason Robinson still had much to offer.

United States television talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey admitted on Wednesday that she nearly gave up her -million school project in South Africa after people at first failed to understand her vision for it. She opened the school on Tuesday at a star-studded ceremony featuring former president Nelson Mandela.

Frank Lampard has insisted Chelsea are still in the hunt for a third straight English Premier League title despite a disappointing sequence of results over the Christmas and New Year period that has left the Blues six points behind leaders Manchester United.

Chelsea missed the chance to close to within four points of leaders Manchester United as they were held to a goalless draw on Tuesday at Aston Villa. Frank Lampard missed a golden chance in injury time to give the champions a victory, and Villa held on for a point — their second draw with Chelsea this season. The result leaves Chelsea six points off the pace.

The British press on Friday were fearful of the first Ashes whitewash in 85 years after England crashed to defeat in the fourth Test in Melbourne, with one newspaper saying ”only a miracle” could save the tourists from suffering a clean sweep.

Tony Blair’s office tried to deflect criticism of his holiday at the United States mansion of pop star Robin Gibb on Thursday, saying the British prime minister had paid for the stay. Opposition Conservatives and newspapers savaged Blair over his year-end break at the Bee Gees star’s luxurious Florida home, demanding to know whether it was costing British taxpayers money or if it was a ”freebie”.

British Airways (BA) said on Wednesday poor markings at Miami airport were to blame for a safety scare involving a jumbo jet carrying British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Boeing 747, carrying 343 passengers and crew, was not damaged when it missed an exit on the runway on arrival from London on Tuesday, prompting police cars and emergency vehicles to rush to the scene.

England captain John Terry may need surgery on his injured back, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said on Tuesday. ”The medical department have said surgery might be a possibility,” Mourinho said. ”I don’t know how long he will be out for — three days, three weeks or three months, I don’t know.”

Kevin Pietersen has admitted he thought Shane Warne was an ”arrogant Australian idiot of a cricketer” after the pair clashed during the first Brisbane Test of the ongoing Ashes series. Last month at the Gabba, Warne almost hit Pietersen when throwing the ball to Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.

A feisty great-grandmother held four builders hostage after they told her improvement work on her home would not be finished by Christmas, several British newspapers reported on Saturday. Josie Medlock snapped when she was told the modernisation of her home would not be completed until the new year.

Britain is set to witness a rise in crime rates and a big jump in the prison population, according to a confidential Downing Street memo leaked to he Sunday Times newspaper. The document, drawn up by Prime Minister Tony Blair’s strategy unit, warned that a slowdown in economic growth was set to trigger a rise in crime rates for the first time in 12 years.

British Airways (BA) cancelled several flights from London’s Heathrow airport on Saturday, but hoped to operate all domestic flights to and from the airport later in the day. BA said it hoped to operate 95% of its Heathrow services on Saturday, with a full service on Sunday. Meanwhile, air-travel chaos also struck travellers in Brazil and India.

A man is due to appear in court on Friday charged with murdering five prostitutes in eastern England in less than two months, in a case that has gripped Britain. Steven Wright is accused of killing Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls, whose naked bodies were found dumped at rural locations round the town of Ipswich.