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The News Matrix: Monday 30 April 2012

 

Sunday 29 April 2012 21:06 EDT
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PM urged to explain inaction over Hunt

David Cameron must face the House of Commons to explain why he is not investigating Jeremy Hunt under the ministerial code of conduct, Labour have demanded. Yesterday the PM offered qualified support to Mr Hunt, who is facing calls to resign over his handling of the BSkyB deal. MORE

Millions of homes being overcharged

Some households are paying £300 a year more than necessary for electricity and gas, according to new research. In a study, the IPPR think tank said that up to five million homes were being overcharged for power and called for reform of the energy market.

Gove 'misguided' over golden age

A senior head teacher has condemned Education Secretary Michael Gove's obsession with a "golden age of education". The general secretary of the headteachers' union said Mr Gove's positive impression of education in the 1950s and 1960s was flawed. MORE

Flats get missiles in case of air strikes

Surface to air missiles will be put on top of blocks of flats in east London this week to defend against the threat of an airborne attack at the Olympics. Defence officials said they are consulting residents of housing blocks after it emerged the missiles would be placed on top of flats in Bow. MORE

Sarkozy rubbishes link with Gaddafi

French President Nicolas Sarkozy dismissed a report that Muammar Gaddafi sought to fund his 2007 campaign after an investigative website claimed to have found papers signed by the deposed Libyan leader. MORE

Chief UN observer calls for ceasefire

The head of the UN observer mission in Syria has called on President Bashar Assad and the country's opposition to stop fighting and allow a tenuous ceasefire to take hold. Maj Gen Robert Mood spoke after arriving in Damascus yesterday to take charge of an advance team of 16 UN monitors trying to salvage an international peace plan to end the country's 13-month crisis. MORE

Police raiding 20 cannabis farms a day

Police found more than 20 cannabis farms and factories a day last year in raids that seized drugs worth £100m. Farms are getting smaller as criminals employ more gardeners to manage multiple sites, police chiefs said. A total of 7,865 farms were found in 2011/12. MORE

Gunmen kill 16 at Catholic Mass

At least 16 people were killed yesterday in an attack on a church service at a university in the north of Nigeria. Police said gunmen attacked a Catholic Mass on the campus, using small explosives to draw worshippers out and shooting those who fled. MORE

World Trade Center tallest in New York

One World Trade Center is expected to claim the title of New York City's tallest skyscraper today, as workers erect steel columns that will make its unfinished skeleton a little over 1,250 feet tall. When complete, One World Trade will be the nation's tallest building.

Paralysed woman past halfway point

A paralysed woman is over halfway through the London Marathon which she is competing in a bionic suit. Claire Lomas, 32, has crossed Tower Bridge, halfway point for the 26-mile race. TV presenter Gaby Logan and her husband, ex-rugby star Kenny, have joined her for a mile of the race.

Nursery book tells of bombs and knives

Angry parents are demanding to know why children are being taught about bombs and knives at nursery schools in a northern Indian state. They complain a book on Hindi language alphabets for four to five-year-old says "B" stands for bomb and "Ch" for "chaku", or knife.

Tourists woeful at foreign languages

Most tourists only master three words for holidays abroad. A survey found most knew the words "hello", "thank you" and "please" in a foreign language, but only 8 per cent spoke a foreign language fluently. The next most popular words to learn were "yes", "no" and "beer". MORE

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