The News Matrix: Thursday 20 September 2012

More magazines to publish Kate images

Magazines in Demark and Sweden defied the Royal family by deciding to publish some of the controversial topless images of the Duchess of Cambridge. A Swedish celebrity magazine printed some images yesterday, while its Danish sister publication is reproducing them today. MORE

End early GCSEs, schools chief urges

Schools should stop letting children sit their GCSEs early, the chief schools inspector has said. Sir Michael Wilshaw warned that only 37 per cent of the brightest children get an A or A* if they sit English early, compared with 49 per cent who take it at 16. MORE

Cartoons set to spark Muslim backlash

France was braced last night for an eruption of anti-French fury in the Muslim world after a satirical magazine published provocative cartoons of a naked Prophet Mohamed in sexually-suggestive positions . MORE

Rebels seize control on Turkish border

Rebels seized control of a crossing on the Turkish border yesterday, ripping down the Syrian flag as they extended their control of the country's north. Two bombs exploded in a Damascus suburb, causing civilian casualties, according to Syria's state news agency, SANA.

RSPCA calls for milk boycott

The RSPCA has called for a boycott of dairy products from the West Country over plans to cull badgers. Chief executive Gavin Grant said tourists should join the boycott, and urged visitors to shun "farms soaked in badgers' blood". MORE

'Bomb plotters' to appeal conviction

Four men jailed in 2007 for a failed plot to bomb buses and Tube trains in London on 21 July, 2005, have launched a legal bid to overturn their convictions. Lawyers for the men – Muktar Ibrahim, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Manfo Asiedu – claim evidence from Sean Doyle, a former government scientist, casts doubt as to whether their bombs were viable.

'Low-fat' foods can pile on the pounds

Seven of the 12 "low-fat" products tested by Which? would be categorised as red for fat or sugar under the Food Standards Agency's traffic light labelling. For example, a standard McVitie's chocolate digestive contained 85 calories, while a "light" one had 77.

Evidence suggests Jesus was married

Evidence that early Christians believed Jesus was married was being questioned by scholars yesterday after Karen King, a professor at Harvard Divinity School, said she had found the suggestion on a fragment of fourth-century papyrus. The text contains dialogue in which Jesus referred to "my wife". MORE

New rule to boost legal access for poor

Aspiring lawyers in New York State must perform 50 hours of free legal work to gain entry to the state bar under a requirement handed down yesterday aimed at expanding access to the legal system for the poor. It takes effect in 2015 and applies to all future law school students and those now in their first or second years.

Foreign governments to buy UK expertise

Britain's civil service expertise will be sold to other governments, in plans to be announced today. The Behavioural Insights Team, known as the 'nudge unit', has already signed a contract with New South Wales in Australia. It uses psychological techniques to encourage people to change their behaviour, saving taxpayers' money. MORE

Campaign targets Sun's Page 3 girls

More than 24,000 people have signed a petition to stop tabloid institution Page 3. The campaign, addressed to editor of The Sun, Dominic Mohan, says: "Stop conditioning your readers to view women as sex objects." The campaigners are aiming to get the red top's biggest advertisers to withdraw their support.

Romney left facing growing criticism

Mitt Romney's campaign for the presidency was facing growing criticism from within the Republican ranks yesterday, as it tried to contain the damage caused by leaked video showing him writing off the support of 47 per cent of Americans.  MORE

Shuttle Endeavour takes off again

Space shuttle Endeavour began the journey to its new life as a museum piece yesterday, heading west on the last ferry flight of it kind as NASA shuts its shuttle program. Bolted to a jumbo jet, the shuttle, which has circled Earth nearly 4,700 times, left Kennedy Space Centre in Florida en route to California Science Centre.