United Kingdom News

Marine scientists are reporting that a colony of around thirty sea lions, previously unique to the Galapagos Islands, has unexpectedly migrated 900 miles south-east to an island just off the coast of Peru in what could be another symptom of global warming.

The dominant train operator at South Croydon, a busy bus/train interchange in suburban London has been praised for co-operating with local authorities. Collective action has been taken to enable more bikes to be securely parked close to the busy platforms, relieving the incessant pressure on parking places and improving modal choice.

Gatwick's new owners have ruled out at a second runway at the West Sussex airport for the foreseeable future, in discussions with long-term local lobbyists. The two runways currently available are far too close for simultaneous use, the northern one only being used to offer flexibility during maintenance or unplanned blockages.

The world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.

A 60-year-old man from Northampton has denied breaching an Asbo which bans him from dressing up as a schoolgirl.

Peter Trigger, of Farndon Close, appeared before Northampton magistrates charged with breaching his Asbo three times.

Mr Trigger was given a five-year Asbo in December 2008 after waiting near a primary school dressed as a schoolgirl.

He is banned from wearing a skirt between 0830 and 1000 GMT and between 1445 and 1600 GMT on school days.

He is also banned from showing bare legs and behaving in a manner which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to others.

A 73-year-old man was attacked with a 2ft (60cm) truncheon after he opened his door to bogus police officers.

Two men knocked on the front window of the man's home in Bredbury, Stockport, and said they were investigating a spate of burglaries.

But when he opened a door they burst in and struck him on both arms, before ransacking the house and stealing cash.

Det Con David Wheatley, leading the investigation, said: "This sort of crime makes my blood boil."

Metropolitan Police Commander Ali Dizaei has been sentenced to four years for assaulting and falsely arresting a man in a dispute over £600.

Southwark Crown Court was told Waad Al-Baghdadi was arrested by Dizaei in a row over work on the officer's website.

Dizaei, 47, was convicted of both misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice.

Recently freed rapper Shyne was denied entry into the United Kingdom early on the morning of February 4. The rapper attempted to enter London via Cancun, Mexico, because he cannot enter the United States.

Sir John Dankworth plays his saxophone at Buckingham Palace, London, Thursday, March 2, 2006, after receiving a knighthood from the Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

Snow and ice is set to sweep Britain this week, with temperatures plummeting below freezing as the coldest winter for more 30 years tightens its grip.

The Met Office said temperatures will drop to -6C (21F) in some parts of the country, with biting north easterly winds adding to the chill.

Fears were growing last night that grit supplies had not been replenished since the cold snap in January, raising the prospect of further misery for motorists on Britain's roads.

More than 16,000 responses were generated in the latest consultation on house-building plans for the East of England. Two thirds of those who took part in last autumn's EERA survey favoured the lowest growth rate of 26,000 homes a year, or even fewer. Prospective developers on the other hand supported higher building rates, but they would, wouldn't they?

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is to tighten the rules on immigrants entering Britain on a student visa, the government said Sunday in a clampdown on a system which some security experts say has been exploited by Islamist militants.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the crackdown was part of a wider campaign against immigrants who apply for student visas even though they intend to work.

Rail users should get two new platforms at Cambridge by the end of next year. The additional platforms in Cambridge will reduce congestion on the line and ease access from the eastern side of the bustling city. Network Rail said designs will be finalised this summer, enabling site work to begin in January.

The English Defence League has cancelled its planned demonstration in Bolton.

The group said it took the decision because a Hindu religious festival is due to be held there on the same day, March 6.

The Welsh Assembly's enterprise and learning committee has recommended the proposal for providing additional trains to Fishguard, following a two month inquiry. The Assembly has generally adopted a progressive line towards public transport where demand warrants it.

The Department for Transport is facing an "intensive investigation" by the Information Commissioner's Office over the suspicion of a Putney MP that DfT e-mails about Heathrow Airport's expansion have been hidden or deleted. Her claims have also highlighted the fact that, as a private company, operator BAA is exempt from the key provisions of Britain's Freedom of Information Act.

Forty-four of the 50 young lambs that were stolen from a Hampshire farm have been found by Metropolitan Police officers on the London/Surrey border. They appear to be flocking good navigators for their young age.

A 25-year-old man from Preston has been arrested after a football fan died in hospital following an incident at Blackburn Rovers' game against Stoke.

The Rovers supporter, a 30-year-old man, was found collapsed and unconscious with a head injury at the start of the second half of the Premier League match at Stoke's Britannia Stadium on Saturday

Police in Leeds are appealing for help in tracing a man wanted in connection with three sex attacks on teenage girls and the attempted abduction of another.

Four girls have been targeted in the Shadwell Lane, Moortown and Roundhay areas between 13 January and 28 January, West Yorkshire Police said.

A major study is to be carried out to decide whether ambitious plans for an eco-village in County Durham should go ahead. An old cement works extends to 64 acres. Durham County Council's head of economic regeneration says "The possibilities for this development are very exciting, but we must make sure that every part of each stage is carefully researched and planned, so that the end product offers real benefits".