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British soldiers in Afghanistan are being forced to act as bait in an attempt to draw the Taliban into opening fire, a serving platoon commander has alleged. Soldiers are risking their lives to get round strict rules of engagement that allow them to shoot only if they are being attacked or are in "imminent danger".

Britain said on Sunday it remained committed to reaching a diplomatic solution to the presence of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuador's London embassy, after both countries took steps to defuse a row over his action in taking refuge there.

The U.K. economy isn't as deeply in recession as thought, revised official figures showed, though analysts cautioned its economy in still in dire straits.

The prince has no clothes - but British newspapers aren't running the pictures. The country's scandal-loving tabloids devoted many pages Thursday to the story of Prince Harry's naked romp in a Las Vegas hotel suite. But all heeded a warning from royal officials that printing the images, already seen by millions on the Internet, would infringe on the prince's privacy.

An inspirational teenager has completed her list of all the things she wanted to do after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Alice Pyne from Ulverston in northwest England became a worldwide Internet sensation when she published her “bucket list” online just over a year ago. Help came from pouring in from across the globe.

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.