She called it, simply, the worst moment of her life.

It came in March 1982 during the days before the Falklands War, after Argentina established an unauthorized presence on Britain's South Georgia island amid talk of a possible invasion of the Falklands, long held by Britain.

Britain's former prime minister Margaret Thatcher spent Christmas in hospital recovering from bladder surgery, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

There has been no change in Thatcher's condition since Sunday when the 87-year-old was said to be "in good spirits", the spokeswoman added.

Heavy flooding across parts of Britain caused widespread road and rail disruption Sunday, wreaking havoc on Christmas travel plans while rescuers worked to evacuate people from the hardest-hit communities.

Torrential rains lashed parts of Britain last week, causing problems especially in south Wales, southwest England and near Aberdeen in Scotland.

Judges on Friday blocked a legal action brought by a Pakistani man against Britain over allegations that British intelligence has been used in U.S. drone attacks on Pakistan.

Lawyers for Noor Khan, 27, who lives in Pakistan, launched the action at the High Court in London in March after the death of his father Malik Daoud Khan last year in a drone strike in North Waziristan.

Britain has paid out £14 million ($22.7 million, 17.2 million euros) to Iraqis who accuse British troops of illegally detaining and torturing them following the 2003 invasion, the Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

The ministry confirmed a report in the Guardian newspaper which revealed that the government had paid compensation to 205 complainants over the last five years, with more than 700 claims expected to be lodged next year.

Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday paid a pre-Christmas visit to British troops serving in Afghanistan, insisting that the "high price" paid by servicemen had been worthwhile, his office said.

Cameron told reporters that Afghan security forces were "doing better than expected" as he defended plans for the British force to be cut to 5,200 next year, according to his office.

President Hamid Karzai on Thursday welcomed the announcement that Britain will pull thousands of troops out of Afghanistan next year, saying his country was ready to take over security responsibilities.

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday said that he will withdraw almost half of the country's 9,000 troops from Afghanistan next year as NATO hands over to Afghan forces.

Britain will withdraw 3,800 of its 9,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2013, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday.

"We'll be able to see troops come home in two relatively even steps in 2013, 2014, leaving probably around 5,200 troops after the end of 2013 compared with the 9,000 that we have now," Cameron told parliament.

Queen Elizabeth II is to attend a meeting of the British Cabinet on Tuesday, in what is thought to be the first such visit in more than a century.

The 86-year-old sovereign will be attending the meeting at the prime minister's residence on Downing Street as an observer in a visit to mark her diamond jubilee, celebrating 60 years on the throne.

Doing nothing is not an option in Syria, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday as his European Union counterparts pledged to look at "all options" available to support the opposition and civilians.

"Inaction and indifference are not options," said Cameron, whose government has formally recognized a recently formed Syrian opposition coalition.