Prince Harry completes first major tour for queen

LONDON (AP) -- Say goodbye to the party prince; say hello to the queen's secret weapon.


That's how royal watchers have seen Prince Harry's first major diplomatic tour - a 10-day jaunt to the Caribbean and South America to represent his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II as part of celebrations marking her Diamond Jubilee.


The trip offered Harry, 27, a first step onto the international stage in a role that will become increasingly common as a younger generation of royals step to the fore.

The official part of the trip, which also included a business-boosting visit to Brazil, ended Sunday with a charity polo match after which Harry gave an exuberant thumbs up after he was kissed on the cheek by a brunette model. On Monday, he set out for Brazil's interior to study its ecosystems as part of a private project conducted by the charitable foundation he runs with his brother, Prince William.


Press reports emphasized that Harry had been a hit with locals and made good on his vow to make his grandmother proud.


Robert Lacey, author of several books about the queen, said Harry's successful trip reflects his new maturity.


"He's grown into this role in the last few years, in part because of his military career," Lacey said "There were concerns because of some mishaps over the years that Harry would be the troublesome one in the family, but he's really doing remarkably well."


As a younger man and teenager, Harry raised eyebrows with his fondness for partying and - most notoriously - when he wore Nazi gear to a costume party and was photographed wearing a swastika armband.


Lacey said Harry's British military training, and that of his elder brother, Prince William, has greatly impressed the public.


"People can see that Harry's not getting special treatment, that he has to pass helicopter exams and work really hard," said Lacey. "The same is true for William. It's extraordinarily important to how people see the young princes."


Throughout Harry's trip, the British press was filled with photos of him playing beach volleyball and rugby in Rio, sprinting with Olympics hero Usain Bolt in Jamaica and dancing in the streets with locals in Belize, even enjoying a shot of local rum at the festivities.


The tone of the coverage was swooning - set by a British TV reporter who said she couldn't believe that Harry was still single.


But it wasn't all sand and surf. Harry also met with Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller - a sensitive visit given her vocal opposition to maintaining the queen's traditional role as Jamaica's head of state - and in the middle of his tour the prince had to deal publicly with the death of six fellow British servicemen in Afghanistan.


Harry defused potential tension with the prime minister with a warm hug, and canceled plans to abseil a building in Jamaica out of respect for the fallen soldiers.


Other senior royals, including William and his wife, the former Kate Middleton, plan similar overseas trips to mark the queen's Jubilee.


The 85-year-old queen and her husband, Prince Philip, 90, will tour the United Kingdom for Jubilee festivities but do not plan to travel overseas.

Britain's William conquers affections in Falklands

STANLEY, Falkland Islands (AP) -- The William-and-Kate refrigerator magnets in the gift shops are about as close as most people here have come to spotting the future king of England, who has only strolled through town once so far during his six-week tour of duty in the Falklands.


But islanders are trying to follow his every move nonetheless, proud to have royalty around as the anniversary of the April 2, 1982, Argentine invasion nears. Sharing gossip by cellphone and Facebook, they excitedly update each other on the latest sightings. Word of his gift-shop penguin purchase spread quickly, and when helicopters approach town, heads pop outside to see if it's one of the Royal Air Force's familiar yellow search-and-rescue birds, the sort that might have William at the controls.


"The ladies of Stanley have suddenly become experts on helicopters," laughed Gavin Short, the local cable guy who doubles as a legislative assembly member for the Falkland Islands Government. "They can spot a yellow helicopter now at five miles."


Argentine President Cristina Fernandez recently said William should have come in a diplomat's suit and not the "uniform of a conquistador" to the "Islas Malvinas," which is the name Argentines apply to islands they consider to be an integral part of their nation held illegally by Britain since 1833.


"Absolute rubbish," says Short.


"What kind of threat is he in a search and rescue helicopter? He's driving a machine that rescues people. It's one of the least warlike things you'll find out here," Short said.


William's bunkhouse, at least, can be seen from a distance as tourists land by air in this remote corner of the British Empire, 8,000 miles (nearly 13,000 kilometers) south of London and 300 miles (500 kilometers) off the South American coast. The Mount Pleasant airport is inside a military garrison about 1,200-strong about 35 miles (55 kilometers) from town that was built by Britain's defense ministry to take in large planes after Argentina's failed takeover.

Four years' jail for Facebook post that incited no one

Two men who posted messages on Facebook inciting other people to riot in their home towns during the recent English outbreaks of violence have each been sentenced to four years in prison by a judge at Chester Crown Court.

Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, one of two men jailed for four years over a Facebook post.

Jordan Blackshaw, 20, set up an "event" called Smash Down in Northwich Town for the night of August 8 on the social networking site but no one apart from the police, who were monitoring the page, turned up at the prearranged meeting point outside a McDonald's restaurant. Blackshaw was promptly arrested.

Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, of Latchford, Warrington, used his Facebook account in the early hours of August 9 to design a web page entitled The Warrington Riots.

Queen Elizabeth meets Kate Middleton's parents; bride-to-be goes shopping

With nine days left until the royal wedding day, tons of exciting tidbits are pouring forth from Buckingham Palace to London's Kings Road.

For starters. Queen Elizabeth II hosted a private luncheon Wednesday to introduce herself to Prince William's future in-laws, Michael and Carole Middleton.

At storied Windsor Castle in south England's Berkshire County, the queen surrounded Kate Middleton's mom and dad with a "warm atmosphere," bringing along her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The Middletons reside in the same county, albeit in more modest accommodations.

While the merging families took time to get to know one other, Kate hit a London boutique to gather some items suitable for her royal honeymoon.

At middle-of-the-road women's chain Warehouse, the bride-to-be and a girlfriend caused major excitement while doing a quick browse Tuesday, scoring three summer dresses and a blouse, People said.

Kate Middleton's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton "It was very exciting, and everyone said how lovely and down-to-earth she was," said a rep for the store.

Wills will presumably see Kate's purchases soon enough, but not before some last-minute male bonding. Reports this week confirmed the future king will spend his last night of bachelorhood with his father, Prince Charles, at St. James Palace.

Britons reluctant to come to the party

One hundred and seventy metres of red, white and blue bunting. A stack of sponge cakes. Two hundred Union Jack paper plates. Forty flags, 22 good-natured cricket players, several men in morning suits and monocles, one bingo-caller and far too many plastic hats to count. Freddie Lancaster says there is no reason to quantify the value of the royal wedding to British society and its economy, but he knows he has to get the numbers right for his South London street party on April 29.

Lancaster, associate director of London group Tea House Theatre, is one of 4000 organisers of parties planned in Britain to celebrate the nuptials of Prince William to Kate Middleton (pictured right). On face value, 4000 might sound like a lot, but given Britain's population of 62 million and the tens of thousands of parties held for the marriage of Prince Charles to Diana Spencer in 1981, it was considered low enough for PM David Cameron to urge the nation to make merry: ''My message to everyone who wants to have a street party is: I'm having one and I want you to go ahead and have one too,'' he said this week.

Could it be that most Britons are not bothered about the marriage of the second in line to the throne, particularly at this time of economic insecurity?

Graham Smith, the campaign manager of Republic, the anti-monarchy organisation, says Britons are, very wisely, not getting behind the event because they know that the royal family is a political institution, with power exercised in the Queen's name ''by men in grey suits''.

''The scale of the wedding is a PR exercise to promote their institution. It's not a national celebration, it's a royal celebration, and it is going to cost the taxpayer many millions of pounds at a time when we're making teachers and nurses redundant. It will also cost the economy billions of pounds in terms of having the day off.''

Smith is no party pooper, though: Republic is holding its own anti-wedding party on April 29. But the group has had to battle Camden Council, which initially approved its permit application for the central London event, then revoked it after opposition from local businesses - some of whom are selling royal wedding merchandise, though probably not the Will and Kate sick-bags that are on the market.

Lancaster says of Smith: ''Gosh, he's a miserable man. That's a fascinatingly limited point of view … It's a bit disingenuous to say the royal wedding is a PR exercise on behalf of the royal family. It's about time William got married; it was going to happen at some point. Because more people care about the royal family than don't, people are going to celebrate.''

The William and Kate fever that is taking hold appears restricted to the southern parts of the country: more than 500 parties are planned for London, but Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle have only 28 planned between them. Glasgow's has been cancelled owing to lack of interest.

While the average Brit may be more concerned with the rising cost of living or job security, the media, bereft of major news since William and Kate's final pre-wedding appearance on Tuesday, have begun focusing on minutiae.

In case you missed it, Middleton has re-sized her engagement ring - the diamond and sapphire sparkler that previously sat on Princess Diana's finger. We know a little more of the invitees: among those who have made the cut are Middleton's notorious cocaine-loving uncle, Gary Goldsmith, as well as the North Korean ambassador and six of the couple's exes. The bride's mother lost 1.8 kilograms in four days on the Dukan diet.

The already lithe Kate has become noticeably thinner in recent weeks, with many commentators expressing concern. Given Diana's renowned eating issues, this promises to be an enduring focus.

While Brits have not yet made the wedding a national cause, their cousins across the pond appear to have embraced it. The Americans made William and Kate: The Movie (which was described by one critic as ''the naffest royal movie ever made'').

Vogue has shot three separate bridal covers in honour of the blushing bride. Middleton's sartorial style has attracted comparisons to Jackie Onassis and Michelle Obama, and of course, the wedding would not be the same without the presence of American TV royalty: Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer are both flying over to cover the event.

Public apathy isn't stopping those with a commercial interest from exploiting the festivities: fancy ''glamping'' on Clapham Common with hundreds of other revellers over the royal wedding weekend? Well you can, with prices for the deluxe tents starting at £3500 ($A5400).

The London Eye has launched a promotion giving a free ride and champagne for married couples called William and Kate. And in perhaps the biggest act of faith, the erstwhile king of British pop, George Michael, is probably hoping that a tribute song he is recording for the royal couple will kickstart a career hampered by incidents in toilets and bushes and a number of drug-fuelled car crashes.

Gang violence blamed as five-year-old girl is shot in south London

Escalating gang violence is being blamed for the shooting of a five-year-old girl who was struck in the chest by a bullet when teenagers on bicycles sprayed a south London shop with gunfire as they tried to kill their rivals.

The child and a 35-year-old man who was shot in the face were both in a critical condition.

Community sources say the area, Stockwell in the borough of Lambeth, has been plagued by youth gang violence that has spiked in recent months. police introduced hardline section 60 stop-and-search powers covering a large swath of the borough, meaning they can search somebody without suspecting an offence has been committed.

The girl, believed to be the youngest shooting victim in recent years, was visiting the shop with her family when the shots were fired just after 9pm on Tuesday. Both victims have Sri Lankan heritage. Police say the 35-year-old man lived above the shop but did not work there.

The child's family were believed to have been visiting relatives who work at the shop.

Police say two youths ran into the Stockwell Food and Wine shop seeking shelter from three youths pursuing them on bicycles. One opened fire, shooting into the shop with handguns, it is believed, and then fled.

DNA blunder let Night Stalker continue

These included three elderly women who were raped and 20 more who were sexually assaulted.

A series of mistakes led to Grant being ruled out as a suspect after a burglary in Bromley when the DNA of a second man with the same name was confused with his.

The error meant successive teams of detectives did not reconsider whether Grant could be the vicious sex attacker.

Two years later, in March 2001, a friend of Grant called police after recognising an e-fit on BBC1's Crimewatch.

The informant, who had links with a children's home in Bromley, named Grant and the first name of a second man, and said one of them resembled the e-fit.

But detectives did not make any further inquiries as his name was accompanied by a "code one" DNA elimination notice on the police database.

The long-running police inquiry was plagued by several red-herrings, including suspicions that Grant rode a motorbike and that he was from the Windward Islands.

Commander Simon Foy, head of the Met's homicide and serious crime command, apologised to Grant's victims for failing to stop him in 1999.

Mr Foy said: "In 1999 there was an opportunity to have identified and apprehended Grant but that opportunity was missed.

"When this came to light after his arrest we voluntarily referred this matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

"It is entirely appropriate for the Met to apologise for this missed opportunity that led to his continued offending for so long afterwards.

"We are deeply sorry for the trauma suffered by all those victims and our failure to bring Grant to justice earlier."

The IPCC launched an inquiry after the concerns of senior Scotland Yard officers were passed to them in February last year.

The May 1999 blunder followed a night-time raid on the home of an elderly woman in Bromley, south-east London.

Budget 2011: have petrol stations 'ripped off' drivers with price change?

Petrol stations were accused of "ripping off" drivers by putting up the price of petrol hours before the Budget, only to lower the price with a fanfare once George Osborne announced a cut in duty.

Drivers around the country have complained that they have failed to benefit from the 1p cut in duty, with the price failing to drop at their local forecourt. Some have accused their local petrol station of cutting the price – but with a sleight of hand that hid the fact they had raised the price just hours earlier.

Clive Sinclair, a software developer near Glasgow, said that his three local garages – two Tesco forecourts and one Asda – all moved the price 130.9p a litre for unleaded on Monday this week to 131.9p on Tuesday, only to cut it back to 130.9p on Wednesday night. He said the price movements were evidence of "rip off Britain".

Tanya Barrow, a full-time mother in Hampshire, said the Shell in Fleet had diesel on Tuesday priced at 137p. On Wednesday morning, on the school run and four hours before Mr Osborne announced the cut, it was 138p. But by Wednesday night it was back down to 137p.

She said: "Fuel companies seem to have seen it as an opportunity to raise their prices and thereby increase their profits, before appearing to drop them again. It's sharp practice."

Those within the motoring industry said that many petrol stations would have been forced to have put up the price this week – with or without a Budget – because of the rising cost of wholesale petrol.

Unleaded petrol was 133.53p on average yesterday, 4.5p higher than a month ago. Diesel was an average of 140.26p, a rise of nearly 6p.

Luke Bosdet, an AA spokesman, said: “My view is there may be a few mavericks out there. But I don’t think there is evidence that there has been large scale fiddling.”

Elizabeth Taylor on 'General Hospital': Remembering the legend's fascinating, and goofy, soap stint

Daytime soaps fans still talk about that time when Hollywood royalty came out to play. Like everything she did, Elizabeth Taylor’s multi-episode arc on General Hospital was big: She came at the height of the show’s popularity to play Helena Cassadine, wife of Mikos. (You remember Mikos, that guy who wanted to freeze the earth.) She was even at Luke and Laura’s wedding, though off to the side and putting a curse on them .

With news of her passing, the show’s put out a statement: “We were honored to work with Elizabeth Taylor on General Hospital. Her portrayal of Helena was a defining moment for the show and an extraordinary experience for everyone involved. She was a great talent, a gracious lady, and a rare presence. We are deeply saddened by her passing and send our deepest condolences to her family and friends.”

 

Her appearance on the show was vintage grand dame, but the blooper reel below shows the playful, joyous side of Mrs. Taylor. And that laugh! Oh, that laugh…

She even makes fun of herself by saying after one flub, “I’m sorry, folks. I’m not used to acting.” It’s amazing to watch her crack up with the ever-charming Tristan Rogers. But I absolutely love the schoolboy joy on Anthony Geary’s face when he forgets a line while looking at her and exclaims “Ahhhh! It’s Elizabeth Taylor.” He’s recently admitted to having had an affair with her for years after they met.

“Elizabeth was more than a great star, she was an amazing human being. Her world famous physical beauty paled in comparison to the beauty that radiated from her heart and soul. She had great humor, didn’t take herself too seriously, and had the most wonderful bawdy laugh. She was a fierce and loyal friend and tireless advocate. She dedicated herself to education, treatment and the search for a cure for HIV/AIDS long before it was fashionable to do so. Back in the dark days of ignorance and prejudice against people stricken with the disease, Elizabeth was at the forefront of the battle,” Geary said in a statement. “I was fortunate enough to call her my friend and every moment I spent in her company was unforgettable. I loved her very much. The world is a little darker, a little colder, a little less beautiful without her.”

Flood of royal wedding smartphone apps hits market

Not feeling the royal wedding spirit yet? It may be time to download a countdown clock to your smartphone.

More than a dozen smartphone apps are offering to bring fans everything royal wedding-related wherever they are - so they can check the days and minutes until Prince William and Kate Middleton's April 29 wedding, hoard news and pictures about them and instantly share their favorite royal wedding tidbits on social media networks.

Most of the apps are tailored for iPhones or iPads. Some are fairly informative: There are apps that feature live coverage of the wedding on the day, a weather forecast for London's Westminster Abbey up to 10 days in advance, and royal protocol in case, for whatever reason, you need to greet the queen.

Hello! Magazine, a popular source of celebrity news, promises exclusive commentary, while an app developed by mobile games company Neon Play has teamed up with Ian Jones, a photographer who has snapped William's portrait in the past, to dish up 100 exclusive images of the royal family.

If that isn't enough, one iPhone app - "Alarm Royale" - even lets people set their phone alarm clock to a wedding march or royal-themed music like "God Save the Queen" and "Rule Britannia."

Stars align for Britain's royal wedding

Kate Middleton and Prince William are a match made in heaven. Just check their horoscopes.

The couple will be delighted to know their star signs, Capricorn and Cancer, indicate they are highly compatible and have a good chance of having a successful marriage, according to leading British astrologers.

"They probably feel like soulmates," said Wendy Stacey, chair of the Astrological Association of Great Britain.

Take it as a bunch of hooey or a celestial peek into the future. Just keep in mind that The Associated Press reported in 1981 that an astrologer warned that Prince Charles, who was born under the complex sign of Scorpio, would have a "stormy marriage" in his union with Princess Diana, born under the sensitive, intuitive Cancer star sign.

Everyone knows how that ended up.

Jay Lucan, who works with the British Astrological and Psychic Society said the new royal couple have "75 percent relationship compatibility" based on their star charts - giving them "definitely a good chance" of outlasting William's parents in matrimony.

Both Stacey and Lucan acknowledge they cannot confirm the accuracy of their predictions for many reasons. The biggest drawback is not knowing Middleton's exact time of birth; Prince William's was publicly announced as a matter of national interest.

So what do the couple's birth dates tell us?

For starters, Middleton, born on Jan. 9, 1982, is a Capricorn (an earth sign) while William, born June 21, 1982, is a Cancer (a water sign). Each star sign is designated an element: air, water, fire and earth.

BA worker jailed for 30 years for plane bomb plot

A British judge sentenced a former British Airways computer specialist to 30 years in jail Friday for plotting with U.S.-born extremist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki to kill hundreds of people by blowing up a U.S.-bound plane.

Rajib Karim, a 31-year-old from Bangladesh, was convicted last month of four counts of engaging in preparation for terrorist attacks. He had already pleaded guilty to five other terrorism offenses, but denied plotting an attack in Britain.

Calling the offenses "of the utmost gravity," Justice David Calvert-Smith recommended in his sentencing that Karim be automatically deported from Britain after completing his sentence.

Prosecutors had argued that Karim used his position at the airline to conspire with al-Awlaki, a notorious U.S.-born radical preacher associated with al-Qaida and thought to be hiding in Yemen. At one point, encouraged by al-Awlaki, he applied for training as a flight attendant, they said.

While Calvert-Smith noted that he considered Karim more "of a follower than a leader," the judge said Karim "worked incessantly to further terrorist purposes" despite his quiet lifestyle.

"You are and were a committed jihadist," the judge told Karim at London's Woolwich Crown Court.

Karim was arrested at his BA desk in the northern English city of Newcastle in February 2010. He pleaded guilty to helping produce a terrorist group's video, fundraising and volunteering for terror abroad - but insisted he never planned an attack in Britain.

The Bangladeshi national, who studied electronic engineering at a university in Manchester between 1998 and 2002 and has a British wife, returned to Britain in 2006 and joined BA the following year.

Royal wedding: charitable gifts, not presents

What to get the couple who has everything? How about a donation to a rhino sanctuary - or an offer of help for earthquake victims in New Zealand.

Prince William and Kate Middleton on Wednesday requested charitable gifts in lieu of wedding presents, seeking to pre-empt the tide of extravagant - and unusual - offerings that typically flood in for a royal engagement.

The palace said the couple was "touched by the goodwill shown them," and selected 26 charities to benefit from a special charity gift fund.

Their decision to forego toasters, gravy boats and candlesticks sets William and Middleton apart from other soon-to-be newlyweds and even the prince's parents, whose use of a wedding gift registry, replete with items such as a gourmet barbecue set and pair of Cockatoos, was slammed by the press as "a vulgar, middle-class custom."

While Charles and Diana did get some gifts in the form of charitable donations, William and his bride-to-be are said to be determined to make sure their April 29 wedding is not seen as overly ostentatious at a time when the British economy is hurting.

The charities they have selected - including some based in Canada, Australia and New Zealand - represent a range of issues, from support for army widows to local community foundations and the arts.

The list does not include any charities focused on relief efforts around last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. William and Middleton are "obviously very shocked and saddened by the events in Japan," but the list of charities has been in the works for weeks and is focused on countries the prince has visited, a spokeswoman for his office said. She spoke on condition of anonymity under palace rules.

"They are charities that have a particular resonance with Prince William and Miss Middleton and reflect issues in which the couple have been particularly interested in their lives to date," the palace said in a statement.

English Catholics claim 900 Anglican converts

The Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales says that about 900 members of the Church of England have taken the first step toward becoming Catholics.

The Catholic Communications Network said Tuesday that the converts participated last weekend in a Rite of Election, the first step toward confirmation.

They will be joining the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, established by Pope Benedict XVI to receive Anglicans.

The converts - many of them opposed to the ordination of female priests and the promotion of gay clergy - will be allowed to keep some Anglican liturgy and traditions.

Theater stars protest UK arts funding cuts

Some of Britain's best-known actors and directors say the government's cuts to arts spending is the biggest threat to country's arts and culture in decades.

Actors Jeremy Irons, Kenneth Branagh, Helen Mirren and Julie Walters and writer-director Mike Leigh are among dozens others who signed a protest letter published in The Observer newspaper Sunday.

Cuts applied to cultural authorities are expected to deal a blow to funding for smaller, subsidized performance venues across the country.

They wrote: "We must remember that many of our most internationally recognized artists ... started in regional theaters and small arts venues."

US-Canada tourism partners examine border issues

A new study shows stricter travel document requirements adopted in 2009 haven't clogged traffic along one of the busiest stretches of the U.S.-Canada border, as many had feared.

But the study focusing on the western New York-southern Ontario corridor did find that Americans are making fewer day trips to Canada.

The study's authors say the perception that crossing the border is difficult and a lack of knowledge about things to do on the other side are combining to keep them home. Canadians continue to shop and gamble in the U.S.

The study was commissioned by a consortium led by the Binational Economic & Tourism Alliance. Preliminary findings were released Friday in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Alliance director Arlene White says Canadian tourism officials need to market the country better to Americans.

Attorney: British lawyer pleads guilty to bribery

A British lawyer charged with helping a former Halliburton Co. subsidiary bribe Nigerian officials has pleaded guilty in the case.

Jeffrey Tesler's plea Friday before U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison was to two counts related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He faces up to five years in prison on each count.

The 62-year-old was arrested in London in February 2009 on charges he helped steer bribe money from Houston-based Kellogg, Brown & Root LLC to Nigerian officials to win more than $6 billion in construction contracts. A grand jury indicted him on 11 counts.

Attorneys for the dual British and Israeli citizen had unsuccessfully argued he shouldn't be extradited because the crimes had no substantial link to the U.S. and that the delay could prevent a fair trial.

Wills and Kate to wed amid tombs of kings, queens, Dickens and Darwin

When Britain's Prince William marries Kate Middleton in Westminster Abbey in April this year, they will be the latest royal participants in a blue-blood tradition that goes back a thousand years.

Britain's monarchs have been crowned in Westminster Abbey since 1066 -- and many have exchanged their marriage vows there, too.

As Kate Middleton walks up the aisle underneath the abbey's soaring Gothic arches, to the notes of the impressive organ and choir, she'll pass by priceless sculptures, medieval paintings and the tombs of past kings and queens

She may feel nervous. Even on an average day, the Abbey is an awe-inspiring place. Light filters through enormous stained-glass windows and candles flicker in its cool, echoing corridors. Gilded tombs, gleaming altars and the smell of incense all impress the Abbey's importance as a time-honored place of worship.

This hallowed ground is also the final resting place for the nation's most important thinkers, artists and statesmen, including scientists Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin; writers and poets Charles Dickens and Geoffrey Chaucer; and composer George Frederic Handel.

English player gets red card for tackling intruder

A soccer player received a red card for tackling a scantilly-clad invader during an English sixth-tier match.

Dorchester player-manager Ashley Vickers was red-carded for violent conduct after ending the intruder's 30-second jaunt with a thudding tackle in the 70th minute of the game against Havant & Waterlooville on Monday.

Vickers says "the funny thing was, the stewards actually thanked me for it. But the ref decided to send me off."

Dorchester lost the match 3-1. The game was tied 1-1 before the intruder appeared on the field. He was wearing nothing but a bright green "mankini" thong and curly black wig.

Havant has banned the perpetrator from the stadium.

Embarrassing royals pose problem for UK government

How do you solve a problem like Prince Andrew?

The embarrassing antics of Queen Elizabeth II's second son are just the latest royal misdemeanors to vex British politicians. From Prince Harry and his Nazi costume to the Duke of Windsor and his Nazi sympathies, members of the monarch's family have often troubled governments - who find there is little they can do to rein in wayward royals.

Andrew is facing pressure to step down as a British trade envoy because of a string of unfortunate relationships. He hosted the son of Tunisia's dictator shortly before a popular uprising overthrew the leader, associated with the Libyan leader's son Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, and is friends with billionaire U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Labour Party lawmaker Chris Bryant, a former government minister, has called for Andrew to be fired because of "his boorish gaffes and dodgy friendships," and historian Max Hastings wrote in an article Tuesday that "a man as bereft of judgment, taste and discretion as the prince" should never have been allowed to represent Britain.