The News Matrix: Tuesday 26 June 2012

Briton faces death penalty over drugs

A 21-year-old Briton is facing the death penalty in the United Arab Emirates after being found guilty of selling marijuana to an undercover police officer. Fears were growing last night for the unnamed man, who was sentenced to death alongside a Syrian man.

Darling in drive for 'no' to independence

Alistair Darling launched Scotland's anti-independence drive in Edinburgh by insisting he could get people passionately behind the status quo. The former Labour Chancellor warned Nationalists that "loving Scotland does not mean leaving the UK behind". MORE

Man leaps to death from Eiffel Tower

A 25-year-old man from Israel has jumped to his death from the Eiffel Tower. The unnamed man was approaching the third-level observatory deck of the tower, at 906 feet, when rescue climbers made it to the scene on Sunday night. Soon after midnight, he jumped, landing on the tower's second floor and dying on impact.

Dozens of military officers flee to Turkey

Dozens of Syria's military officers have defected to Turkey with their families as tensions between the two countries grow over the shooting down of a Turkish jet fighter. The state-run Anadolu news agency said 33 soldiers crossed into Turkey as part of a group of 224 people. MORE

Assange's mother hits out at Britain

The mother of Julian Assange has accused the British, Swedish and Australian governments of being "sycophants" of the United States over the long-running extradition saga involving her son. But Christine Assange said her son was "buoyed" by the backing he has received from supporters, including Michael Moore.

Lib Dems must fight O-levels, says Labour

Labour will try to split the Coalition by urging Liberal Democrats to oppose the reintroduction of CSEs and O-levels. The party will use a debate in the Commons to argue that plans by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, would "consign young people to the scrapheap".

Terminal shut over scanner problems

Passengers and airline workers were evacuated from John F Kennedy Airport in New York after staff failed to plug in a metal detector. Officials closed Terminal 7 for about two hours after discovering the equipment problem and realising people had been let through without being properly screened.

New president Morsi gets down to work

The new Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi yesterday moved into the office once occupied by his ousted predecessor Hosni Mubarak and started work on forming a government.

Seek dialogue, don't strike, says chief

Doctors risk losing patients' trust if another strike goes ahead after last week's action led to thousands of operations being cancelled, the head of Britain's doctors union has warned. Hamish Meldrum, outgoing chairman of the British Medical Association, told doctors that they should seek new dialogue with ministers rather than repeat the strike.

The guide to Soho's not-so-stately homes

The National Trust has launched an app that promises to guide visitors to Soho through the seedier side of London's red-light district. "Soho Stories" uses GPS technology to identify the street the user is on and plays "site-specific" anecdotes from famous bohemian inhabitants, including tales of the area's sordid heritage.

'Swastika' plane startles New Jersey

New Jersey beachgoers were startled over the weekend to see a plane flying overhead pulling a swastika banner. The group behind the flight says it wasn't meant as a representation of hate. The International Raelian movement says the swastika is actually a symbol of peace that was corrupted by Nazis.

Aborigine art is 28,000 years old

A chance discovery in a remote area of the Northern Territory has revealed some of the world's oldest rock art. The markings – believed to be 28,000 years old – form part of a body of evidence which shows that Aborigines were among the most advanced modern humans at the time. MORE

'Fifty Shades' author has competition

Erika Leonard, the British author of the erotic bestseller Fifty Shades Of Grey, written under her pseudonym EL James, has some competition. Her husband Niall, who has written for TV shows such as Monarch of the Glen and Wire In The Blood, has signed a deal to publish a thriller for young adults later this year.

Liddell 'would have disliked jingoism'

Eric Liddell, the Olympic Gold medalist immortalised in the film Chariots Of Fire, would have been dismayed by the jingoistic and professionalised nature of modern athletics, his daughter says. Liddell, a Scottish athlete, triumphed in the 400m at the 1924 Games after refusing to compromise his Christian beliefs.