World - Britain

LONDON (AFP) - A Muslim tutor who sexually abused a young girl as she read the Koran to him, was on Thursday sentenced to 30 months behind bars at Leicester Crown Court. Full Story »

LONDON (AFP) - Three Islamic extremists were jailed on Thursday over a foiled plot to blow up passenger airliners flying between Britain and North America. Full Story »

LONDON - A judge has sentenced a London man to a minimum of 18 years in prison for his role in a plot to blow up trans-Atlantic passenger jets using liquid explosives. Full Story »

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Luxury goods group Burberry said its Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey has won the 2009 Designer of the Year prize at the British Fashion Awards. Full Story »

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - A London property developer won 30,000 pounds ($48,730) in libel damages on Thursday over a newspaper claim that he had beaten up model Sophie Anderton. Full Story »

LONDON (AFP) - The Bank of England on Thursday said it was keeping its key interest rate at an all-time low of 0.50 percent and maintaining its credit-easing plans amid a record recession. Full Story »

LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England left its asset purchase programme intact at 200 billion pounds ($325 billion) and held interest rates at 0.5 percent on Thursday, as widely expected. Full Story »

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Cowed by recession, a full 80 percent of Britons plan to spend New Year's Eve at home this year, according to a survey on Thursday. Full Story »

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - More than half of Britain's brides-to-be and 39 percent of grooms are considering cosmetic surgery or an aesthetic treatment in preparation for their wedding, according to a new study. Full Story »

LONDON (AFP) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday urged other leaders to impose a tax on bankers' bonuses, in a united front amid tensions between London and Paris. Full Story »

NEW DELHI (AFP) - Fraud-hit Satyam has agreed to pay 70 million dollars to British payment services firm Upaid, settling one of several lawsuits against the Indian outsourcing company. Full Story »

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will try on Thursday to end tension over the appointment of a Frenchman to oversee a shake-up of European banking. Full Story »

LONDON (Reuters) - A British man was found guilty on Wednesday of conspiring with the ringleader of a suspected al Qaeda plot to blow up transatlantic airliners bound for North America using liquid explosives. Full Story »

LONDON (Reuters) - Braced to cut costs when Britain is facing the biggest government deficit in its history, a London council is trying the budget airline approach. Full Story »

LONDON (Reuters) - Angry London bankers and traders accused finance minister Alistair Darling on Wednesday of "lip service" to appease the poor with a levy on bank bonuses. Full Story »

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Cisco and British telecom giant BT Group on Wednesday announced a partnership aimed at a growing hunger by businesses worldwide for Internet-based communications services. Full Story »

PARIS (Reuters) - Britain on Wednesday warned its skiers and snowboarders to avoid excess alcohol when taking to France's ski slopes, after a spate of drink-related deaths and serious accidents. Full Story »

LONDON (AFP) - The widow of a British yachtsman murdered off the coast of Thailand on Wednesday told of her horror at the unfolding attack, as a coroner recorded a verdict of unlawful killing. Full Story »