The News Matrix: Monday 12 January 2015

G4S Guantanamo links investigated

A complaint has been lodged with police over the British security company G4S and its involvement with Guantanamo Bay, i has learned. The campaign group Reprieve says the firm may be liable for prosecution in Britain it if has profited from human rights abuses.

Man with bullets and chemicals arrested

A man has been arrested after ammunition and chemicals were discovered at a house in Colwall, near Malvern in Worcestershire. The 49-year-old man from Worcester was detained yesterday. West Mercia Police said the arrest was not terrorism-related.

Conservative set to become President

An exit poll in Croatia says a conservative populist has beaten the liberal incumbent in the presidential run-off election. The poll says Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic won 51.4 per cent of the vote, while current President Ivo Josipovic had 48.6 per cent.

Child suicide bombers kill three

Two children strapped with explosives killed three people in a market in north-east Nigeria yesterday, witnesses said, the second apparent attack in two days using young girls. Witnesses said that both girls appeared to be around 10 years old.

Inquiry launched into election ‘coup’

Sri Lanka’s new government is to set up a special investigation into whether former President Mahinda Rajapaksa (left) attempted to stop a vote count when it looked like he was losing last week’s election.

Labour-SNP pact remains possibility

Ed Miliband has refused to rule out a deal with the Scottish National Party if the general election in May results in a hung Parliament. During a TV interview the Labour leader swerved the question, saying: “I am going to put forward a manifesto before the British people and say, ‘This is a plan to put working people first, not a plan for the privileged few like this Government has’.”

Number of dairy farmers plummets

The number of dairy farmers in England and Wales has dropped dramatically in the past decade, new figures show. Almost 10,000 English and Welsh dairy farmers have left the industry since 2002 due to supermarket price wars forcing down the price of milk.

Hammerstein museum opposed

A plan to convert Broadway lyricist Oscar Hammerstein’s former home into a tourist attraction goes to a hearing today, as his grandson pushes the conversion forward in the face of opposition. Hammerstein purchased Highland Farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, in 1940.

Police give the kiss off to wheel love

A Spanish driver is planning to appeal an ¤80 fine given by police town of O Carballiño, who saw her boyfriend kiss her as she drove. “I was so shocked – I thought it was a joke and that there must be a hidden camera,” she said.

Police can’t catch runaway rhea

A runaway rhea – an ostrich-like bird that can run at 40mph – has been evading Hertfordshire police because “they can’t keep up with it”. Two officers filmed the flightless bird but couldn’t catch it. “It’s very fast,” East Herts Rural police tweeted.

Pope honoured by a samba double

A samba school honoured the Argentine-born Pope Francis with characters dressed as the pontiff and angels – some of whom were scantily clad dancers – at the popular Gualeguaychu carnival.

£3.8m project to save NT mansion

A £3.8m project to safeguard the future of a historic house has begun. Scaffolding is being erected around the house of the National Trust-owned Dyrham Park, near Bath, as part of vital work to repair the roof.