The News Matrix: Tuesday 7 October 2014

Body in woods is that of Alice suspect

A decomposed body found in woodland in Boston Manor Park on Saturday has been formally identified as Arnis Zalkalns, 41, the prime suspect in the Alice Gross murder investigation, Scotland Yard said. A post-mortem examination formally identified the body as Zalkalns, of Ealing, west London. Scotland Yard said there was no evidence of third-party involvement.

‘Unnecessary’ fears over binge drinking

Reports that a single episode of binge drinking while pregnant could lead to lifelong damage to the foetus were causing “serious and unnecessary distress” and could cause pregnant women may request abortions, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service has said.

Court allows for gay marriage expansion

The US Supreme Court unexpectedly cleared the way for a dramatic expansion of gay marriage. The court rejected appeals from five states which sought to preserve their bans, meaning six other states would probably allow gay marriage.

GP wins £45,000 for newspaper libel

A Spanish-born GP accused of causing a patient a “year of hell” has been awarded £45,000 libel damages by a High Court judge. Jose Antonio Serrano Garcia, 44, sued the Daily Mail over an article from April 2012 headlined “A whole year of hell, thanks to a foreign doctor”.

Inquiry into use of journalists’ records

Police forces have been ordered to give information about using anti-terror laws to spy on journalists. Sir Paul Kennedy, the Interception of Communications Commissioner, announced a “full inquiry” after telephone records were used to find confidential sources.

Bear cub found dead in Central Park

A bear cub has been found dead under a bush inside New York City’s Central Park, and authorities believe the body may have been dumped there. Police say the cub was found yesterday morning by a Central Park employee and there were signs of trauma to the body.

World needs to do more, says Obama

Barack Obama says some countries are not doing enough to confront the Ebola crisis. A Spanish nurse has become the first case of Ebola contracted outside West Africa.

MH17 report was ‘lapse in judgement’

A report in which a Sky News journalist was seen picking through the belongings of victims of the MH17 disaster in Ukraine was a “significant lapse of judgment”, says Ofcom. The regulator said Colin Brazier’s report breached its programme code, but it will be taking no further action.

Search resumes for missing aircraft

The hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 resumed yesterday in a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean, more than six months after the jet vanished. The Boeing 777 vanished on 8 March during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Latin dropped for bishops’ summit

Pope Francis has decided Latin will not be the official language of a worldwide gathering of bishops at the Vatican. A cardinal made the announcement and said Italian, the lingua franca of the Vatican, would become the synod’s official language.

Battle on to save the habitat of dormice

Conservationists are attempting to restore habitats for dormice along canals and rivers following a 600-mile survey of historic hedgerows, conservationists have announced. The hazel dormouse, famed as a character in Alice in Wonderland, is under threat from loss and fragmentation of its habitat.

Library should have double checked

The Latin motto engraved on the wall of a new library in Moorestown, New Jersey, got lost in translation. Officials had thought the phrase “Nos secundus coniecto omnia” meant “We confirm all things twice.” But it actually means “We second-guess all”. The engraving is set to be changed.

It’s an Eiffel long way down...

A new attraction graced the Eiffel Tower yesterday after the official opening of the tower’s newly renovated first floor – a glass floor that visitors can stand on more than 50 metres in the air and see straight down to the ground. The two-year, €30m (£23.5m) renovation was inaugurated by Paris’s Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

Bloomberg given a knighthood

The billionaire philanthropist and former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg has been given an honorary knighthood for his “prodigious entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavours”, the British embassy has announced. Mr Bloomberg, 72, said he was “deeply honoured”.

Snail count could keep your dog safe

The Big Snail Count is launched today aims to help dog owners recognise the link between mollusc activity in their gardens and the risk of lungworm to their pet. The campaign encourages people count snail and slugs within their gardens and local parks, recording and submitting data. For more information and to submit your own data go to www.facebook.com/jungleforpets