Large swathes of Britain remain on flood alert with more heavy and persistent downfalls forecast to further dampen the summer season.

The south east of England is now in a state of drought, Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said today.

Swedish authorities rejected arguments by Wiki- Leaks founder Julian Assange against his extradition, telling Britain’s top court that if he won the case it could turn European law on its head.

THEY’RE clocking up thousands of miles as they complete their journey from England to Africa — and five migrating cuckoos fitted with tiny tracking devices are providing new information which could help explain a sharp decline in the number of the birds in Britain, scientists said Friday.

American utility PPL snapped up its second major UK electricity network today after striking a deal worth £3.5bn (€4.1bn) with Germany’s E.ON.

Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt insisted his government would play no role in deciding whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to the US.

WIKILEAKS chief Julian Assange said in an interview published yesterday he had signed deals for his autobiography worth more than €1.4 million.

Widespread travel chaos caused by some of the severest winter weather for a century left Christmas commuter plans in tatters and swathes of the country paralysed in the UK today.

THE founder of WikiLeaks yesterday said he fears that the United States is getting ready to indict him on espionage charges, but insisted that the secret-spilling site would continue its work despite what he has called a dirty tricks campaign.

A BRITISH court will decide today whether to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has become the scourge of the US establishment, on £200,000 (€234,500) bail over accusations of sex crimes in Sweden.

Around 170,000 miles of electrical network covering London, the South East and eastern England was sold by France’s EDF today in a deal worth £5.8bn (€6.9bn).

EMAILS stolen from one of the world’s leading climate change research centres contained no evidence to undermine the case for manmade global warming, a report found yesterday.

PARTY leaders targeted key marginal seats yesterday in a final push to win what looks like the closest general election in decades this week.

A FIRST-class performance by Primark, which trades as Penneys in Ireland, sent operating profits in the six months to the end of February jumping 10% to £122 million (e138m).

US president Barack Obama flew out of Britain today after attending the G20 summit.

Large parts of the UK were today waking up to a blanket of snow as an Arctic front swept across the country in the first prolonged cold snap of the winter.

Damien Enright on missing moths and butterflies.

The European Union said today it sees no immediate need to tighten its rules for controlling the spread of bird flu, despite reports that an outbreak in eastern England may have been caused by turkeys imported from Hungary.

Poultry farmers around Europe were on guard today against the possible spread of bird flu across the North Sea from infected Britain, fearing the disease could be carried by wild birds.

WHEN MINK first started to spread around the country, there were a lot of worries about what the impact of a new species of carnivore would be on other wildlife.

London’s leading shares powered to a new five-year high today as investors remained in bullish mood despite the drag of big mining stocks.

Japan has suspended imports of poultry from Britain, including meat and related products, because of an outbreak of bird flu here, the Agriculture Ministry said.

AS Europe shivers, Ireland has been left out in the cold having just managed to escape the icy weather which has caused chaos across the continent.

A locomotive is being officially named after punk legend Joe Strummer today.

EU farm ministers will meet in Brussels later today to discuss the deepening crisis over foot and mouth disease.