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The opening episode of the ninth series of X Factor averages 8.7 million viewers, the lowest launch audience since 2006.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange prepared to weigh into the diplomatic standoff between Britain and Ecuador on Sunday but may stay holed up in his refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy to avoid arrest as workmen prepared a balcony for his statement.

Ecuador cast its dispute with Britain over asylum for WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange as a struggle against colonialism on Saturday, drawing growing support from its neighbors in the international diplomatic saga.

The furor over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's future entered stalemate mode Friday as he remained holed up in Ecuador's London embassy, his home for nearly two months, following an extraordinary display of brinkmanship between Britain and the South American country.

Ecuador has granted political asylum to WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange, Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said on Thursday, a day after the British government threatened to storm the Ecuadorean embassy in London to arrest the former hacker.

The British queen's husband, Prince Philip, has been taken to a Scottish hospital as “a precautionary measure,” Buckingham palace said Wednesday. The palace says the 91-year-old Duke of Edinburgh was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

New York’s top banking regulator had charged the British bank with laundering $250 billion in tainted money for Iranian clients.

Britain is determined to extradite Julian Assange to Sweden and has made that clear to Ecuador, which is sheltering the founder of WikiLeaks inside its London embassy while it considers his asylum request, British authorities said on Tuesday.

The Olympics brought less tourist money to recession-hit Britain than officials expected, a trade group said Monday, with a majority of tourist businesses reporting losses from last year.

More than 200 firefighters have tackled a blaze described by London Fire Brigade as the biggest seen in the capital for several years. The brigade was called at about 13:15 BST when flames took hold at a recycling centre in Dagenham, east London.