The News Matrix: Saturday 20 July 2013

Man gets 10 years for 'horror-film' attack

A Merseyside man has been jailed for 10 years after an attack on two women that a judge described as "like a scene from a horror film". Connor Tarbrooke, 20, stabbed Nicola Renwick with a Stanley knife, pouring petrol on her; and attacked her friend Shanice Budgeon with a bread knife.

Suicide bomber kills 20 in Sunni mosque

A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Sunni mosque in central Iraq yesterday, killing at least 20 people. The explosion took place in the town of Wajihiya. It was not clear which group was behind the blast, which appeared to be part of a sustained campaign of militant attacks.

Cameron heckled over NHS pledge

The Prime Minister was heckled at a celebration in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. A woman shouted: "Mr Cameron, why did you say the NHS would be safe in your hands? You're privatising it." He replied: "It is safe. We are saving the NHS. We're putting more money into it."

Woman arrested as babies' bodies found

Czech police have arrested a woman suspected of killing her three new-born babies. A police spokesman said the woman has confessed to killing a girl born in May and twins born last year. Officers discovered the bodies in the cellar of the woman's house after a tip from her gynaecologist. .

UK drugs trio given Ramadan pardon

Three British men jailed for drug possession in Dubai have been pardoned and released as a gesture of goodwill during the holy month of Ramadan. The men were beaten and tortured with electricity and cattle prods, according to the human rights charity Reprieve. MORE

Humiliation 'best cure' for sexists

Humiliation is the best cure for male sexists, says Channel 4's Cathy Newman. She said that while it would have been wrong to fire commentator John Inverdale for saying Marion Bartoli was "never going to be a looker", he was "publicly shamed" and that was "the best sanction". MORE

PM in hot water over 'boat people'

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been criticised for plans to deport "boat people" seeking asylum in Papua New Guinea. Critics say his plan contravenes the UN convention on refugee and former PM Malcolm Fraser called it "an abdication of our basic humanity". MORE

Alcohol brands see drop in sales

The biggest alcohol brands in Britain have seen their sales fall by almost 3 per cent year-on-year. Research in The Grocer showed the top 100 drinks brands have fallen by 2.8 per cent, and the overall market by 2.3 per cent. Stella Artois remains the No 1 brand with Foster's at No 2.

Berlusconi's 'bunga bunga' aides jailed

Three of ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's former aides have been jailed in Milan of procuring prostitutes for the media mogul's infamous "bunga bunga" parties. Emilio Fede and Dario Mora received seven years each and Nicole Minetti five. All three had denied the charges. MORE

Posthumous pardon for codebreaker

Alan Turing, the Second Word War codebreaker who killed himself after receiving a conviction for a homosexual act in 1952, is set to be pardoned. The Government has said it will not stand in the way of a Bill introduced by Lord Sharkey giving Turing a posthumous pardon.

Chinese girl was run over after air crash

A teenager lying on the runway after the Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco died when she was struck by a vehicle at the scene. The coroner's report said Ye Mengyuan, 16, from China, died of multiple blunt injuries. Officials believe she was hit by a fire engine.

I'd like to deposit a sandwich, please

A direct-action protest group will stage a series of demonstrations today against the Government's welfare cuts by "transforming" banks into food banks. UK Uncut will target HSBC branches in cities including London, Glasgow and Manchester and Oxford in a day of "creative civil disobedience".

Town bans spitting in street

MPs backed Enfield council's bid to ban spitting on the streets and make it a criminal offence. The Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles agreed with the council the practice was "deeply anti-social". The London borough can now bring in a by-law to stop it.

Dog's mess costs woman £650

A woman who walked off without clearing up her dog's mess in a park has to pay more than £650. Katie Arnell, 18, was charged after failing to pay a £75 on-the-spot fine. She did not attend Portsmouth Magistrates' Court where she was fined £400 and ordered to pay £253.60 costs.

Lightning strikes nine

They say lightning never strikes twice. But as a group of farm workers in Colorado found out this week, it can strike many people at the same time. Nine people working in a field were hit by a single lightning strike on Thursday. Two of the nine were critically injured.

Frankie Boyle goes on hunger strike

Controversial comic Frankie Boyle has gone on hunger strike in support of Shaker Aamer, the last British detainee in Guantánamo Bay. Mr Aamer is one of dozens of inmates refusing food in protest over their treatment. "Day 2 of hunger strike feels a bit like being drunk," Boyle said. MORE

Café owner's wall sparks Nazi storm

Authorities are to ask a restaurant owner to explain why he opened a Nazi-themed café which has drawn complaints from residents and tourists in the city of Bandung. Henry Mulyana, who's eatery has a red wall festooned with Nazi memorabilia, said it was not to incite racial hatred.

Tons of illegal ivory seized by customs

Customs officials have made Hong Kong's biggest seizure of illegal ivory tusks in several years, confiscating over two tons of elephant tusks worth £1.5m. Officials said 1,148 pieces of ivory tusks were found in a container from Togo declared to be carrying shipping planks.