The News Matrix: Thursday 14 February 2013

Rights 'less vital than stopping terrorism'

Britain must be prepared to share intelligence with foreign governments that could prevent a terrorist attack in this country or abroad, even if those countries have questionable human rights records, the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, will say today. However, the Government will step up efforts to support the legal, criminal and human rights systems across North Africa.

'PM making same mistakes as Blair'

David Cameron has failed to learn from Tony Blair's mistakes in Iraq and Afghanistan, the shadow Defence Secretary will warn today. Labour's Jim Murphy will claim that the Prime Minister has continued "ideological" crusade against al-Qa'ida favoured by Mr Blair. MORE

Obama tries to gain support for policies

President Barack Obama hit the road yesterday to win public support for the ambitious proposals – closing tax loopholes for the wealthy, gun control, attacking climate change – he made in his State of the Union speech. The speech outlined his plans for the first year of his second term. MORE

First case of new Sars-style illness

The Health Protection Agency has confirmed the first British case of human to human transmission of a potentially fatal respiratory illness similar to the deadly Sars. The patient is in a stable condition in intensive care in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. MORE

Aborigines finally being recognised

Australia has taken an historic step towards recognising that Aborigines were the nation's original inhabitants. Yesterday, the governing Labor Party and opposition Coalition passed an Act of Recognition, an interim step towards an eventual referendum for constitutional change. MORE

I endured years of abuse says mistress

The former mistress of Mick Philpott, the man accused of starting a housefire which killed six of his children, said she left him after enduring years of abuse. Lisa Willis said she and his wife Mairead took it in turns to share a bed with him. She said he was a "good father". MORE

Dorner believed to have died in cabin

Police were last night waiting to identify a body, believed to be Christopher Dorner, the former police officer who killed three people. The body was found in the charred rubble of a cabin in California. MORE

Savile's estate and BBC will be sued

Jimmy Savile's estate and the BBC are being sued by alleged victims of sexual abuse, lawyers for the claimants have announced. Solicitor Alan Collins said a writ had been issued at the High Court on behalf of 31 alleged victims. Savile's estimated £4m estate has been frozen. MORE

McDonald's offers silver service

A McDonald's franchise in Warilla, 60 miles south of Sydney, is offering full table service for its dine-in customers, complete with china plates, glassware and metal utensils in place of the paper boxes and plastic. The five-week trial has been "very popular," said manager Michelle Steain.

'Physical' removed from PE classes

PE lessons in more than a quarter of British schools have taken the "physical" out of physical education, Ofsted has found. Many lessons involve so little activity that they can't hope to improve pupils' fitness levels. Only a minority of schools play high class competitive sport. MORE

Diners tuck in to a dirty dinner

A chef at a Tokyo restaurant specialising in French-style seafood has branched-out into serving customers soil. Toshio Tanabe's restaurant is offering customers a feast starting with an amuse bouche of soil soup and ending with a soil sorbet. Diners pay £70 a head for the meal.

Police mortar-fied after false alarm

Armed police stormed a home in Gloucestershire after being tipped off that the owner was hiding a deadly weapon – only to find it was a toy model. Ian Driscoll, who lives in Tewkesbury, had uploaded a photo of the toy mortar tube to his Facebook page, which sparked the alert.

Elton's friends join his Aids campaign

Sir Elton John has persuaded a raft of stars to support his Valentine's Day campaign to raise awareness of Aids. Jessie J, Jamie Oliver and Elizabeth Hurley will prick their fingers to draw blood and then tweet the picture with the words, "Love Is In My Blood". MORE