The News Matrix: Wednesday 27 February 2013

Youth is key suspect in Austrian car case

A 17-year-old boy in Austria has become the main suspect in a car theft case after a woman found her vehicle partially hot-wired, a door forced open – and an apparently drunk youth fast asleep inside. The case has caused great amusement after it was publicised by state broadcaster ORF.

Red Bull rapped for contest 'VIP' prize

Red Bull has been chastised by the Advertising Standards Authority after its prize of a "VIP trip to watch the Belgium Grand Prix" was exposed as being far from luxurious. Winners were sent on a budget trek across three countries, made to share beds and sent home early. MORE

Extrovert Rodman in North Korea visit

Dennis Rodman, the flamboyant former basketball star, is visiting North Korea with members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and a Vice film crew to film a documentary for HBO. MORE

Global industry back in business

For the first time in almost two decades, the global music industry has made up for profits lost to internet piracy and free downloads with revenues rising 0.3 per cent in 2012 to £10.9bn, fuelled by the popularity of paid-for streaming services like Spotify.

Zero Dark Thirty probe dropped

The controversial Senate investigation into whether the makers of Zero Dark Thirty were granted "inappropriate access" to classified material has been dropped, but not in time to stop the film about Osama bin Laden's downfall being snubbed at the Oscars.

Errant eagle lured back after flying coop

After three days flying wild, a California zoo's bald eagle has finally been captured. The 24-year-old famished bird was recovered after a trainer managed to coax her back to his arm with a feast of quail and mice. The eagle, Sequoia, ventured out on her own eight times previously.

Apple to compensate parents for app costs

Apple has agreed to pay compensation to American parents whose kids made "in-app purchases" without permission, following claims it failed to publicise the feature on games aimed at children. It follows a lawsuit by a man whose nine-year-old daughter accumulated $200 (£130) of charges.

Yahoo bans staff from working from home

Yahoo, the search engine pioneers that helped bring instant digital communication into millions of houses, has banned its staff from working from home. The company told workers that they had until the summer to migrate back to the office or forfeit their job. MORE

Francis Crick's Nobel prize to be auctioned

The Nobel prize awarded to Francis Crick for identifying the structure of DNA is to go under the hammer. Six decades after he was recognised for his work, Crick's family have decided to put the medal and diploma up for auction – the first time a Nobel prize has been up for public sale. MORE

Pistorius in private memorial for Reeva

Oscar Pistorius is planning a personal memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp, the 29-year-old model he allegedly murdered. The service is to be held at the Pretoria home of his uncle Arnold.

UK accused of KGB death cover-up

Britain was accused of colluding with Russia to cover up vital information on the murder of KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko at a pre-inquest hearing into his death yesterday so as to protect lucrative trade deals. MORE

Oxford excludes ethnic minorities

Ethnic minority applicants to Oxford University can be half as likely to gain places as white students despite having the same A-level grades. Just over 22 per cent of minority students who gained three A* grades at A level were offered places. MORE

Benedict to be made 'emeritus pope'

Pope Benedict XVI will be known as "emeritus pope" in his retirement, and will continue to wear a white cassock, the Vatican has announced. It has fuelled concerns that a conflict of allegiance may arise from having both a reigning and a retired pope. MORE

Gove's 'dead white men' curriculum

GCSE students will be fed a literary diet of "dead white men" under Michael Gove's plans for a new national curriculum, Dr Simon Gibbons, chairman of the National Association for the Teaching of English, said yesterday. He complained about the emphasis on the 19th century. MORE

Call to ban smoking in cars with children

Smoking should be banned in cars carrying children, the Public Health minister Anna Soubry claimed yesterday. The former smoker and mother of two said the move could be justified on "child welfare" grounds. "It is something we should at least consider," she said. MORE

John Kerry talks to Russia about Syria

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, met for the first time and discussed the civil war in Syria. They talked about how they could implement an agreement to get the government and rebels to plan a transitional government. MORE

Markets take fright at election results

Financial markets dipped as investors reacted with alarm to the uncertain result of the Italian general election. Italy saw its borrowing costs rocket as businesses grappled with the surprisingly strong performance of fringe candidate and comedian Beppe Grillo. MORE

Top Catholic calls for reform of the church

The allegations of sexual abuse that forced Cardinal Keith O'Brien to resign show "the Pope's own house needs to be put in order", a leading Catholic has said. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor pleaded for reform of the internal governance of the church.

Cannibal Cop's wife testifies about plot

The wife of a former New York police officer known as the "Cannibal Cop" has spoken of her discovery that he allegedly planned to kill and eat her. Speaking at the trial of Gilberto Valle, Kathleen Mangan-Valle testified that her husband had plotted online to abduct and kill her. MORE

Labour will pledge to retain Trident

Labour will fight the next general election on a pledge to retain Trident, Britain's independent nuclear deterrent, senior party sources have confirmed. Some advisers are known to want Opposition leader Ed Miliband to opt for a scaled-down, cheaper alternative, but it is increasingly likely he will join the Conservatives in backing a £25bn replacement. MORE