The News Matrix: Tuesday 20 September 2011

Police arrest seven in Birmingham

Seven people have been arrested in a police investigation into a suspected international terror threat. Officers raided 14 addresses in Birmingham on Sunday night and seized computer equipment and a car. West Midlands Police declined to comment on any possible targets. MORE

Man held over death of mother of four

A man is in custody on suspicion of murder following the shooting of a mother of four in a remote farm near Parracombe in north Devon. Jennie Leeman was found with gunshot wounds after police were called on Sunday. Her husband is believed to have been arrested.

Kenyan charged with tourist murder

A Kenyan man charged with kidnap and murder claimed in court yesterday that he had been abducted at gunpoint and forced to guide the gang that killed British tourist David Tebbutt and kidnapped his wife. Reports suggest that Judith Tebbutt is being held in central Somalia. MORE

Opinions divided over Strauss-Kahn

More than a fifth of the French people watched Dominique Strauss-Kahn deliver a blend of confession and belligerent counter-attack on television but commentators were divided on the effect of his first lengthy declaration since he was arrested on suspicion of attempted rape. MORE

Worries keep Cable awake at night

Business Secretary Vince Cable has warned he stays up at night worrying about decisions he has made because of the economic issues the UK faces. "We are on very dangerous terrain,” he told a meeting. MORE

Sailor gets life for submarine killing

A Royal Navy crewman who shot dead an officer on a nuclear submarine was yesterday jailed for life. Able Seaman Ryan Donovan, 23, admitted murdering Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux, 36, with an SA80 rifle in the control room of HMS Astute while it was docked in Southampton on 8 April this year. The sailor, from Dartford, Kent, also confessed to the attempted murders of three other officers. MORE

Killer Moat still had pulse after shooting

Raoul Moat still had a heartbeat on arrival at hospital after shooting himself in the head, his inquest has heard. A paramedic described seeing Moat take a his last breath shortly after he shot himself last July. Despite having a normal heartbeat, he was not breathing.

Gaddafi forces claim to hold mercenaries

Muammar Gaddafi’s fugitive regime claims that it has captured 17 foreign mercenaries outside the besieged loyalist redoubt of Bani Walid, 100 miles south east of Tripoli. The claims came as rebel fighters said they were making gains on the few remaining Gaddafi strongholds. MORE

Passports may carry ‘sex-free’ option

Gender-free British passports could be brought in to allow transgender people to opt out of identifying themselves as either male or female, under plans being considered by the Home Office. Passports would have a single box marked “sex”, which could be marked with an X. A similar system was introduced in Australia last week.

Vegemite triggers airport security alert

Australia’s Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, found himself embroiled in an unusual diplomatic row when US customs tried to confiscate his jar of Vegemite. Mr Rudd found himself on a sticky wicket after airport security staff stopped him on suspicion that the savoury spread could have been dangerous. MORE

Alec Baldwin furious over Fox censorship

While Britain was celebrating success at the Emmy Awards, Alec Baldwin was fuming after a taped segment in which the actor poked fun at News Corp over the phone hacking scandal was dropped by broadcaster Fox, which is owned by the group. Baldwin tweeted that their decision “sucks”. MORE

Too many draws for youngsters to smoke

Film regulators and politicians are not doing enough to turn teens off smoking, academics warned yesterday. Research by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies has established a strong relationship between youngsters who watch stars smoking on screen and their smoking in real life. MORE

Paralympic medals are unveiled

The 2012 Paralympic medals have been unveiled as part of an exhibition at the British Museum in London. Created by jewellery designer Lin Cheung, the gongs feature designs around the themes “spirit in motion” and “the heart of victory”. They weigh between 375g-400g, are 85mm in diameter and 7mm thick.