The News Matrix: Monday 9 December 2013

Protesters topple Lenin statue in Kiev

Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Kiev yesterday, toppling a statue of Vladimir Lenin in an escalating standoff over the future of the country. The unrest was sparked by President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to turn away from a deal on EU integration. MORE

Match-fixing claims turn up the pressure

English football was facing difficult questions last night about its ability to tackle corruption after mounting allegations that league players deliberately tried to get booked by referees during competitive games in return for five-figure sums from gambling syndicates. MORE

‘Terrorist’ label was wrong, says Welby

Nelson Mandela was courageous to fight against apartheid in South Africa and should not have been labelled a “terrorist”, the Archbishop of Canterbury said yesterday. The Most Rev Justin Welby said in Trafalgar Square that the 95-year-old was the “rarest of leaders”. MORE

Applause for French peacekeeping force

A 1,600-strong French force was applauded through the streets of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), having brought calm to the city after fighting killed 400 people in three days. President Hollande sent in the troops to halt a sectarian civil war. MORE

Remember the poor, Pope tells shoppers

Pope Francis took to the heart of Rome’s luxury shopping district yesterday and prayed that people “never be left indifferent to the cries of the poor”. The appearance here on 8 December is traditional.

Low paid struggle in new Victorian age

The biggest drop in living standards since the Victorian age is putting an unprecedented squeeze on low and middle earners’ incomes, with women and part-time workers disproportionately affected, research reveals. More than five million people are classified as low paid and an increasing number of public sector workers are struggling to make ends meet. MORE

One dead in rioting at football match

One man is feared dead and dozens more injured after fans rioted at a football match in Brazil. A military police helicopter landed on the pitch and rubber bullets were fired into the terraces during the clash between Atletico Paraense and Vasco da Gama in Joinville. The match was relocated due to previous violence.

Common birds suffer sharp decline

The sharp decline in some of Britain’s most common bird species is resulting in their disappearance from some parts of the country. An annual stocktake of bird populations shows that many of the country’s most familiar species are suffering “plummeting” population changes compared with the 1990s. MORE

Polygamy lures rich men, poor women

Polygamy, although technically still illegal in Kazakhstan despite two attempts in the past 15 years to get it legalised, is on the increase as rich men see a second wife as a status symbol and young women see it as a way to escape poverty. MORE

Owens gold medal sold for $1.47m

An Olympic gold medal won by Jesse Owens at the 1936 Games in Berlin has been sold for nearly $1.47m (£900,000)to the Los Angeles billionaire Ron Burkle. It is the highest price ever paid for a piece of Olympic memorabilia.

Regime confirms dismissal of official

North Korea has confirmed the dismissal of Jang Song-thaek, thought to have been one of the country’s most powerful officials. State media said he had formed a faction.

Gob-stoppers to impose a £500 fine

People spitting in public face a £500 fine in a new by-law in Enfield, north London. Spitting in a handkerchief, tissue, bin or container will still be allowed.